Final Fantasy VII: Awakening
by sephlier
Summary: NEW CHAPTER 34! Sorry for the long wait! Leira Thompson has a fragmented past. Her memories are broken after a chance encounter with a man she's loved since childhood. What does her past hold for her in the future? What is she to the man she once loved?
1. Midgar Revisited

FINAL FANTASY VII: Awakening

For the past three years, she had been wandering this place. Was there any hope for her in sight? Probably not. She was assigned to look for this man...was, was, was...she kept reminding herself. The faction that hired her went bust but being a skilled assassin; she made it her reputation to keep at the job until the end.

"Midgar," she hissed, "of all the places."

The metal remains sprawled out before her. The greenery of the area was slowly beginning to take back what it lost from humanity and its technology. Miles of nothing but scrap metal and hints of lives lost so long ago. It was amazing that anything could live here in the first place, humanity or otherwise.

_"Nothing left but scrap. No one left after that Holy incident."_ Those words echoed through her head. One of the most peculiar little girls told her this. She had to have been at least twenty maybe younger. First, the little one offered to be a guide than she vanished...of course not before she took a few gil.

Leira shrugged than started closer towards the ruins. The floating plate was battered. All the support pillars had crumbled. The few remaining people who survived the collapse of the slums blasted out the deadly reactors for good measure.

"Why am I doing this, again?" she asked herself aloud.

"Because, you want to find him."

Leira spun around on her heels. The last thing she wanted was an interruption. "What do you want?!"

The little girl grinned at her. "You want what everyone knows you can't have." She smiled. "I saw what he became and I know what that bud of mine did to him...he's gone."

"Why did you follow me all this way then? You know he's gone. What good is it going to do you? Besides, the remaining gil you can't have!" Leira's green eyes narrowed to slits and she reached for the little dagger she brought with her on many expeditions.

She kept it just inside her shirt collar. It seemed to be a convenient place to keep it since a lot of the undesirable people she met were usually men anyway, at least whenever she traveled through these parts. She would just reach up to her chest; move the collar of her shirt out of the way, and bam.

"You don't need to go reaching for anything." laughed the little girl, "My father told me once that true evil never dies so you might be in luck!"

"Who said he was evil?"

"He's just misunderstood?!" The little one slapped her hand over her face and pulled her lips down. "He almost destroyed the world!"

"We all have our bad days," sneered Leira, "From what I've heard from the people of Kalm, he's kind of in a recovery state. He's still got incredible power but the godlike side has subsided. My orders were to bring him in or make sure that he wouldn't be a danger to anyone."

"Lady," the little girl pushed her white bandana further back on her head and scowled, "You're nuts! Whose orders are you following?"

Leira laughed as her long brown hair came to a rest over her shoulders. She folded her arms and pursed her lips. "I'm working on a job for the Turks...Tseng to be precise."

"You are nuts...When did you get this job? He's dead too, in fact he was one of the first ones to die by Sephiroth's hand!"

"Obviously, little girl, he gave me the orders before he died."

"Are you a Turk?" the girl frowned as she folded her arms underneath her chest.

Leira looked down at her black button down shirt and blue pants, her uniform of sorts. "I'm part of a special unit of Shinra. I'm an elite Turk."

"Wow, aren't you something special?!" The little girl stretched out her arms above her head and laughed. "Who are you, anyway?"

"You first." sneered Leira.

"I'm Yuffie Kisaragi, of Wutai, daughter of the head honcho of tourism and marketing."

"Wutai...That would make you a little Ninja wouldn't it?" It was hard for her to believe this skinny little girl sporting a short blue shirt and green shorts could possibly be as lethal as Leira herself. Leira looked thoughtfully at the wreckage in front of her. "That was one of the few places untouched by Shinra and their reactors"

"Yeah, score one for the Turk lady! Now what's your name?"

"I am Lieandra Thompson...Leira for short. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a man to find."

"Well, Leira," Yuffie shrugged, "you won't find him in that melted mess."

"Well than, where is he?"

"How should I know? The people in Kalm said he was wandering through a few days ago trying to find a way back to Nibelheim."

Leira turned her back on the girl and started heading in the direction of Kalm.

"Wa..wa...wait! Where are you going? Are you giving up?" Yuffie jumped up and down, waving her arms wildly.

"I'm heading back to the inn. After that I'm going to see about transport to Nibelheim."

Yuffie swallowed hard, "Hey, do you have a ride cuz I don't. I want to come too. There are wolves after me and I'm frightened."

"What's wrong, now?" Leira asked glancing back at the little ninja.

"I can be a guide." Yuffie smiled. "Where you're going, you're going to need one."

Leira slowly got into her vehicle, bestowed upon her by her superiors for successful completion of all the training and beer runs they threw at her.

A four door Shinra Motors Hightime with a large engine that did not require Mako energy to run. It ran on battery power and was very fast; which was perfect for getting through bandit territories.

"Hey you got the sport model!" Yuffie purred. "How come all you carry is change?"

"So little girls like you can't steal much." Leira said matter-of-factly as she pressed the ignition button and turned the key.

Yuffie opened the door and climbed into the vehicle. She noticed a picture of someone on the dashboard wearing a white shirt and blue blazer. The tails of their shirt hung out over blue trousers. He had a short cane in his left hand that was resting behind his neck. The shiny black sunglasses resting on top of his head interrupted his reddish hair giving him a him a youthful appeal. "Who's that? He kinda looks familiar."

"Hmm, oh...that's Reno. He was new when I was bumped up to Elite status."

"Reno! You're kidding? He's a Turk? He's a major hottie!"

"Are you saying Turks are ugly?"

Yuffie gulped and shook her head. "So...uh...where is he anyway?"

It was Leira's turn to gulp. "I don't know. After Holy and Lifestream made their way through Midgar all communication with him was lost."

"Were you two in love?" Yuffie asked.

"When it's you're business, I'll keep you informed."

"Sheesh, I'm just asking. That's all, wicked witch." Yuffie folded her arms in front of her and slumped into the seat.

"Look, did you want a ride or not?" Leira pursed.

Yuffie slowly nodded her head and they were off.

"I know that Aeris and Tseng had a thing for a while, and after talking with my bud Cloud, I heard that Rude had a thing for Tifa, but I didn't think Reno was up for flings in the "family". I would have thought he would have had a thing for me, since there were no more hot chicks left."

Leira smiled, "After a while he did. After the one you call Cloud, and others, saved you from Don Corneo."

"Corneo? The slob in the white suit? Whotta perv he was!"

"Yep. After I was sent over to Costa del Sol to protect the President's son, Rufus, our relationship was pretty much over. He would write to me about how he missed me and how he wanted to find someone as spunky as he thought I was. That didn't happen until a little later, though." Leira focused on that part of her life with a certain distaste.

"You?" Yuffie crooned, "Maybe he wanted someone a little peppier and..."

"Are you done?" Leira shot back at her, "It's over, Reno's gone and..."

Something darted in front of the vehicle catching the girls by surprise. Leira slammed on the brakes. The car squealed to a stop inches from…

"Ello, Ello, Ello, what do we have 'ere?"

"Bandits," murmured Leira.

Yuffie looked over at Leira and back out the window as one of the three masked men approached the vehicle.

"Yo ladies, lookin' for a good time?" The first one drawled.

"As if you would know how to provide one," said Leira.

"Great, go ahead and insult them." Yuffie spat.

"Awright, get out of the car." The second one pushed.

The girls opened their doors and left the vehicle.

"Walk to the front and get out your precious possessions." Said bandit number three.

"Show us those pretties." sneered number two as he took Leira by the shoulders and pushed her along.

Number one already started to peruse the vehicle's interior by the time the girls reached the front bumper. Leira looked back and saw the thief pull out the picture of Reno.

Yuffie followed her glance and smiled. "You're in some real shit now."

Just as she spoke, Leira grabbed number two by the neck and pushed him into number three who had just come around the other side of the vehicle. Number three wobbled backwards and went to grab a weapon concealed in one of the pockets of his dirty faded pants.

He pulled out a long blade and started towards his friend.

Number two grabbed his knife also and took a few swings at Leira.

Leira backed up and put her arms behind her as she dodged. After moving away, she spun around and delivered a crushing right sidekick that caught her attacker square in the ribs.

Number two crashed to the ground holding himself.

Not to be forgotten, number three lunged at Leira blade first. Leira fell to the ground flat on her back and swung her legs up over her head. Her confused attacker stood there for a second before he started to come closer. She smiled and kicked her feet out to meet his face.

Yuffie could not do much more than watch her companion in disbelief. She had to be a Ninja, too, or at least one hell of a fighter, but she did not recognize the technique. She could not have been from Wutai, could she?

"Hey, girlie, this has gotten out of hand!"

Yuffie spun around in surprise, confronted by the masked number one. He saw her astonished glance and grabbed her by the waist.

"I'm coming!" Leira hollered. Flipping herself to her feet she trudged over the newly fallen number three.

Yuffie smiled to herself, "It's my turn to show off!" She pulled her head back and catapulted it into number one's stomach.

Yuffie was not just about injury, she wanted to add a little insult at the same so she stomped on his foot. As expected, her foe was thrown off guard. As soon as his grip released, she pulled her arms back into her sides and pushed them into his ribs. The blow was so powerful it knocked him flat on his back.

Leira smiled as she watched Yuffie standing with her arms out in front of her. The look of concentration and power on her face was admirable for such a young little girl. Leira heard a rustling behind her and knew that at least one of her attackers was in the process of getting up. She smiled and reached for her Turk knife. When she felt the blood warm blade in her grasp, she launched it in a beautifully executed left-handed throw. The blade sailed through the air. On its final approach, it arched and imbedded itself in the ground right between number two's legs.

Sweat trickled down his face and the slow realization came to him that he should not have messed with these two females...ever. He raised his hands above his head and retreated to the shadowy, foreboding, ruins of Midgar.

Number three would not be swayed as easily as his companions. He jumped to his feet rocketed toward Leira. He let out a holler and knocked her to the ground.

"Oof." Leira suffered a hard hit and knew the ground was not somewhere she should be for too long. She managed to get up enough energy to roll onto her left side. Her attacker got in closer to try to kick at her. Expecting this attack, Leira opened her legs so they were on either side of his and closed them like a large pair of scissors right onto his knees. Number three just become landlocked.

Yuffie ran over to Leira to offer her a hand, when number one grabbed her again. "You little twit!" he bellowed, "This'll teach you!" he hammered his head into hers and tossed her limp body to the ground. He then started for Leira.

Leira formed her lips into a sneer. She put her hands on her hips waiting for his attack.

"Are you going to just stand there?" He yelled, "Good!" With a long shout, he drew back his right arm and delivered a haymaker. Leira stepped back with her right leg and blocked with her left arm. Undaunted, her attacker kicked her in the stomach. She collapsed to the ground under the force of the blow and coughed up a little blood.

"Great on the ground again." she murmured to herself.

"Now whot ya gonna do, huh?"

"Oh, nothin' just this..."

She pushed herself on to her hands and knees and mule kicked him in the stomach then jumped to her feet. He did not fall this time; he only wobbled back a bit. This was just what she needed. She lunged at him and punched him square in the face, with a right jab that sent him crashing to the ground.

Sensing he was down for the count, she approached Yuffie, still lying unconscious. Again, the tell tale sound of someone trying to get up. She turned her head and noticed number three decided to run away.

"Hmmph." She stepped over the beaten number one and reached for Yuffie. "She's still breathing...she's a tough little girl." Leira said with slight disbelief.

"Ya think so?" Yuffie murmured, regaining some of the wind forced from her lungs.

"We've got to get back to Kalm. There might be more coming." With that, Leira helped Yuffie onto her feet and they both hobbled to the car. Once safely inside, they began to drive back to the little city.

"Do ya got the picture?" Yuffie asked as a little bit of blood began to run down her dirt-covered face.

"It's safe." Lieandra smiled and patted the picture lying across her lap.

The drive to Kalm was short but Yuffie had already fallen asleep. Leira wondered if she looked that innocent when she was Yuffie's age.

Once in the city Leira nudged the sleeping girl with her elbow and they both exited the vehicle.

"You girls look like you've had a tough time." said a red headed passerby. "You didn't meet up with the man in the black cape, did ya?" His green eyes had a thoughtful look as he spoke.

"No." muttered Yuffie, "I would have rather dealt with him any day."

The girls made their way to the inn where Leira was staying. Once inside her room Leira began assessing any injuries to herself and to Yuffie. "Here," she smiled, "this might sting a little."

She removed a little pouch from her dresser and took a green liquid filled cloth from it. The liquid smelled bitter and it felt very cold.

"What is it?"

"It's a disinfectant made out of sap from the Ancient forest. You know the one next to Cosmo Canyon."

"Cosmo Canyon," Yuffie said softly, "I've got a couple friends you've got to meet sometime."

"Maybe later. We've got to get some sleep and than we've got to get transport out of here."

"So, am I like a sidekick now?" Yuffie smiled.

"Girl, the only sidekick you're gonna get will be right out of this room tomorrow morning. I'm too tired to kick you out tonight."

That evening Leira had a dream.

"So, daughter of Shinra, your search for me continues." said a soft masculine voice.

"Who are you?" Leira saw an image of herself wearing a long white sleeveless dress. It had a plunging neckline and its hem went down past her knees. She never really cared too much for dresses; to feminine for her tastes.

"You aren't sure what you'll do once you find him?" the voice prompted.

Leira walked around. Everything around her was black and yet she could see. An image appeared a few feet ahead of her. It had its back to her, whatever it was. As she stepped closer, she began to notice more about this strange figure. It was tall and had to be at least six feet in height. It seemed to be dressed in a long black cloak that came down to its ankles. She took note of the shiny black boots that were so much like her Shinra issued ones. The hair of this...was it...yes, it was a man, came down past his thighs. It was almost a silver color, or was it white?

"Who are you?" Leira asked again.

"You don't really know who you seek, do you? What he looks like, what he sounds like, it's all unfamiliar to you." The figure started to rise off the ground a couple inches and turned slowly.

"I'm looking for Sephiroth. It's true, my boss only showed me a picture and it wasn't a very good one. But, I do know that he is a man of great power, and I do know that he's supposedly still alive." Leira stammered.

She realized how sad her situation was becoming. The only picture she saw of the man called Sephiroth was a burnt photograph of some girl identified as "Tifa Lockheart" and a tall SOLDIER with black spiky hair only identified as "Zack". The charred left side of the picture only revealed part of a man dressed in a black cloak. The man's hair looked almost white. His seemingly effeminate features made him look young and very arrogant. Those aquamarine eyes of his could not be human, she thought after seeing the picture for the first time.

_"That's your target,"_ she heard her boss, Tseng, say, _"That's Sephiroth."_

_"Don't you have any better pictures? This one's gotta be old." _

_"It's almost six years old and was salvaged after Nibelheim was burned to the ground. You remember Hojo right?" Tseng winced. _

_"The head of Shinra's science division? What about him?" asked Leira as she leaned over his desk. _

_"He burnt all of his research documents and all his specimens, after that Jenova thing came up missing. Than he just disappeared without a trace." _

_"So?" _

_"Ahh," Tseng sighed, "Sephiroth was part of Hojo's Jenova experiment. So was Sephiroth's mom, Lucrecia. She was reported missing, and presumed dead, right after Sephiroth was born. That's all we know. Hojo…" _

_"...Was very careful about not leaving any traces of Sephiroth's existence, or his own for that matter." Leira finished. _

A breeze started to blow and Leira's hair and dress started to dance in its gentle caress. She looked down at the skirt and than noticed she was not standing alone. The Shinra issue boots were now in front of her bare feet.

"Do you know that he stands before you?"

Leira looked up in surprise. "How did you...?!"

She looked into the face of the image from her picture. His long black cloak was open revealing two leather straps crisscrossed his chest, leaving his pale skin visible below. At his middle, underneath the "X" formed by the straps, was a symbol. Leira had seen that symbol before. It was a mark of SOLDIER. The other man from the picture, Zack, wore one. For that matter Leira, herself, adorned that same symbol. She was not a member of SOLDIER but her dress uniforms for the regular Shinra army and Turk Elite included such a symbol in the exact same location. She always thought it looked like a bulletproof vest. Come to think of it, she never heard of Sephiroth being a member of SOLDIER or any of those other factions. Why did no one educated her of this possibility?

He lowered himself to the ground. His green-blue Mako enhanced eyes stared into hers. She felt a coldness coming from them but at the same time a powerful attraction. His grayish locks were softly blowing in the strange breeze as he looked at her.

She felt herself start to tremble.

"Do not be afraid." he whispered reaching up with his right hand to brush strands of Lieandra's long brown hair from her face. He smiled and moved his beautifully sculpted face towards hers. She felt him wrap his arms around her. "It is you who I seek."

Still mesmerized, her eyes closed as she felt him kiss her deeply.

A whirl of emotions surrounded her. She had never expected this. His kiss was passionate. She noticed his lips were warm and somewhat forceful, too. She wanted to cry. She was face to face with the Great Sephiroth himself. There were women that would have killed for what she was experiencing just now. Rumors spread about him never taking a wife and never settling for other romantic entanglements. She felt his black-gloved hands move slowly up and down her arms. She felt the gentle caress of his long bangs across her neck. She felt weak and afraid. She felt afraid?

It was like a bolt of lightning striking her. When was she ever afraid? She was a Shinra soldier for Christ's sake, one of the best. "No." she managed to say and stepped back tearing her away from his strangely wonderful embrace.

She threw her eyes open expecting to see him standing before her. There was nothing but empty black air. She reached out with her hands to see if she could feel him. She than noticed her hands were gloved. She looked down at her clothing. No flowing white dress. She was now wearing the uniform of her trade...her Turk uniform. The button down black shirt and blue pleated pants had more of a comforting feel, at this moment. "Same old shiny black boots." she thought to herself as she stared at her feet.

"UHHHMEGAAAAAH!" shrieked Leira as she fell out of bed. It had not occurred to her that she had been tossing in her sleep.

"We shall meet again, Lieandra," the voice of Sephiroth echoed.

"Must've been a good sleep," Yuffie mused as she leaned over Leira, "you drooled all over your pillow."

Leira, clearly embarrassed, reached up onto the bed and grabbed her pillow. As soon as it was in her grasp, she hurled it at Yuffie, catching her in the face, and knocking her on her backside.

"So-or-ry!" Yuffie muttered, dusting off her oversized green nightshirt. "I was only trying to help."

Leira exhaled and walked over to Yuffie who had gotten up and was now lying on her bed at the other side of the room.

"I'm sorry." Leira apologized. "I had this strange dream, and, well, I learned that I really don't know as much as I thought I did about my target."

"What do you mean?"

"I wasn't told that much about Sephiroth to begin with. The picture I was shown was badly burned and old. I had no idea what he really looked like. Have you actually encountered him?"

Yuffie wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. "I'm trying to forget."

Leira gave Yuffie a questioning glance. "He was really powerful. He probably had the strength of a hundred men. He could fly, too." Yuffie's boyish face darkened as she spoke, "He hurt us, me, and the others back at the Northern Crater where he was holed up. I never felt such a searing power before. Now, I've played around with Materia before but this power was truly out of this world. When he jolted us with that power of his, it felt like my arms and legs were being ripped from my body."

A tear fell down Yuffie's cheek. "I just wanted to die right there it hurt so bad."

Leira looked at the girl with almost the same sadness in her eyes. "Are you sure this is something that you want to involve yourself in?"

Yuffie stifled a sob and gave a wide glowing smile. "Are you crazy? Of course I'm coming!"

Leira's green eyes opened wide.

"If anything I'm going to get some kind of payback out of Sephiroth." She hammered her fist into her palm.

Leira looked down at the floor. Sensing some kind of distress Yuffie looked at Leira's withdrawn gaze. "What's wrong with you?"

"I...I...uh, am not quite sure how to say this but..." she took a deep breath, "I'm not even clear on what to do when I meet up with him..."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Yuffie jumped to her feet. "He killed a lot of people! He slaughtered villagers and burnt their villages to the ground. You were sent to stop him...weren't you?"

Leira took a deep breath. "I was on leave when Tseng called me in. He gave me those orders one week before Sephiroth killed him. I didn't believe the rumors of Sephiroth's death after meteor. I wasn't going to believe them unless I had hard evidence in front of me. I was only told to find him and stop him. I wasn't told how."

"Where I come from, that usually means you're supposed to kill the bastard D-E-A-D anyway you can think of!" Yuffie started jumping up and down with anger.

"I know but I kind of thought that Shinra...or what's left, would want to run some tests on him to make up for all the information they lost."

"Sephiroth the lab rat! Sorry sister, I just don't see it!"

"I really don't have any ideas on how to stop him. This is all quite new to me." Leira shrugged solemnly.

"Me neither, I'm too tired and agitated to think." Yuffie said as she lay down to pull the covers over herself.

"Me, too." Leira smiled, "Me, too." She wandered back to her bed, pulled the covers over her and lay down to sleep.

Morning came and with it the promise of a fresh start. Yuffie and Leira visited the weapons shop for some knew armor than Yuffie showed Leira her favorite hang out...the materia shop.

"We have a chocobo wagon to catch in a few minutes we can't spend to much time bargaining." Leira pointed out.

"You mean we're not taking the car?" Yuffie's disappointment with the situation was obvious.

Leira shot Yuffie a broad smile. "Of course we are; I just don't feel it necessary to put too many miles on it."

"Where're we goin'?" Yuffie asked a little shocked.

"We're going to Junon." She said. "Kalm is such a little town I doubt that anyone has really seen too much more around here."

Yuffie tapped Leira on the shoulder as their transportation to the large cliff-side fishing village pulled its way into the gates.

The wagon was a large metal platform, with eight big red wheels, that could fit at least three of Leira's cars on its back. A crew of twelve large men and at least thirty tall, yellow chocobos powered the cart. After a large crane hoisted the car onto the rear platform, the girls soon followed.

"Umm...Can I ask you a question?" Yuffie asked.

"Sure, go ahead."

"You're single, right?"

Leira grimaced, "Yeah, I guess. Why?"

Yuffie smiled devilishly, "You'll see." She said.

The trip to the bustling cliff-side fishing village known as Junon was rather quiet, save for the constant "Wark, wark" sound that the giant yellow birds made.

Instead of heading, back in the direction of Midgar the cart was supposed to link up with a ferry located in the northwestern Kalm lands. Once on this ferry they would enter Junon through its harbor. It was a long way but Leira really wanted to do some sight seeing.

The chocobo cart stopped and the girls departed.

"Take care ladies." waved two of the cart drivers.

The girls smiled and made their way to the docks. This area had been built almost a year after meteor hit. It was made of scrap metal salvaged from Midgar. The first year was the toughest, for people that lived in the once legendary city. The majority of the people that lived and worked in Midgar were wealthy and influential. When the catastrophe from the skies known as meteor hit, those that would survive could not function and abandoned the life they once had. With a bleak financial outlook for the future, jobs were scarce as people tried to build a new life for themselves.

The ferry port, Gelnika, was a testament to the power of the human heart and mind and the financial wealth of one of the last remaining Shinra higher ups. His name was Reeve. He originally was in charge of the people living in the clouds and the people who lived in the slums by the president of Shinra, Inc himself. He cared very much for his people and worked to ensure both sides received electricity, food, and shelter, and listened to any other concerns that they might voice. His port project gave jobs to those who needed them.

"Why did you want to know if I was single?" Leira asked.

"We're heading to Junon, they're are tons of eligible guys just waiting for a gal like you," she smiled, "and miss Yuffie here, will be the one to set you up real good."

"I'm not out here to find a date, Yuffie. I have a mission that I'm supposed to complete" Leira blushed.

The girls boarded the ferry to Junon. This time they were forced to fight through a crowd of people. Junon was a very popular city even back before meteor threatened to destroy all life on the planet. The vessel docked at the port was made of steel. In it's early days it carried the Shinra army and tons of civilians. It made regular trips to the foreign land of Wutai, vacation resorts like Costa del Sol, Junon, and just recently the Gold Saucer. Leira figured the majority of people were there to see the Gold Saucer. Gambling was at an all time high and no one could deny this theme park and resort was the best way to tempt fate.

Leira and Yuffie made their way to the railing to look out at the ocean. The reflection of the sun on the water's surface was beautiful but it was beginning to hurt Leira's eyes. She reached into her shirt pocket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses. She than pushed her hair back to allow for a comfortable fit as she moved the thin wire framed lenses to rest on her face.

Yuffie watched Leira for a moment. The little girl noticed a kind of sadness appear in Leira's usually stern face. She figured it might be the real reason for her companion to hide the most expressive part of the human anatomy, her eyes. When she was younger, her father always told her the eyes were a window to the soul. She wanted to reveal a secret to her new friend but felt, for some reason, this was not the time or place. She decided to let her newfound guilt and Leira's sadness linger for a little while longer.

"Looks like Fort Condor found a new occupant." Leira pointed out. Fort Condor was a Shinra reactor that attracted the most unusual of visitors. Large condors would visit it to lay their eggs on top of it as a means to incubate them. Shinra fought many battles with the reactor workers in order to recover a special type of materia. The Shinra lost the battles and ever since, the long abandoned reactor became a sanctuary for the rare and wonderful birds.

"Yeah." Yuffie said stretching out her arms, "Looks like the condors are here to stay."

The boat rocked gently and Yuffie suddenly felt an odd feeling overcome her. It struck her, but not before it struck Leira.

Lieandra, noticing that something seemed to be wrong, leaned in to offer some kind of help to her companion who seemed to be getting...

"BLEEEAAGH!" Yuffie's complexion grew pale and she vomited on Leira. The oozy brown "yuck" that had been the little Ninja's lunch was now decorating Leira's uniform.

"Seasick, huh?" Leira said gazing down at the mess. "That's okay, I guess. I'll just have to go below deck and pick out a change of clothing."

"Umph, sorry." Yuffie blushed trying to regain her composure.

Leira turned and walked down the ramp leading to the baggage area. "No place to change here." she thought to herself as she found her luggage and began to rifle through it. She did not just carry around clothes; she made it a point to carry around assorted weapons, from guns, to knives and swords. On occasion, she carried different types of small explosives with her on her travels. It was a habit she picked up from being a Turk Elite and obtaining a bounty hunter like status.

Leira continued to leaf through her belongings. "Okay, this'll do." she said after finding a new change of clothes. She now needed a place to change. After scanning the area her eyes rested upon the engine room. She walked towards the door and turned the knob. Opening the door slowly, she looked around for any signs of life.

"No one here." she concluded.

There were plenty of gadgets and dials and other electrical equipment in this room. If she were to guard this vessel, the engine house would have been one of the rooms she would have spent the most time protecting. She could not believe there was no one around. "Oh, well." she sighed and removed her vomit soaked clothing. Since the barracks were not set up to separate the differences in gender, she was used to changing clothes in front of her fellow soldiers. Their only purpose was to house the soldiers in the Shinra army. Modesty was not a strong ideal for Leira but for some reason being caught in front of tourists while stripping off her clothing was not a very pleasant thought for her to entertain.

After changing outfits, Leira heard a knock at the door. "Yo, Leira...You in there." Yuffie shouted.

She opened the door slowly. "You trying to wake the dead?" she whispered. "I'll bet you half the ship heard you."

Yuffie smiled and punched her arm playfully. "We're there!" she said excitedly. "I borrowed someone's phone and made a call to a friend of mine."

"May I ask, who?"

Yuffie smiled broadly at her. "You'll see. He's single too."

"Who?"

"God, can you believe it, he's twenty four years old and hasn't had a date in three years?"

"Yuffie..."

The little Ninja was already on a roll, "He's been living in Junon just brooding over the loss of his last girlfriend, Aeris."

"Aeris?" whispered Leira.

"She was a flower girl from the slums back in Midgar. He really dug her, too. It was a shame when she died. I kinda liked her, too. I thought they would have made a cute couple. I could just see little spiky headed kids running all over the place..."

"Will you stop?!" Leira shouted to try to quiet the little one.

Yuffie stepped back. "I...I'm sorry."

"It's okay. You just haven't told me who we're meeting."

"Oh, it's a surprise." she said plainly looking at the confusion starting to form on Leira's face. She turned and headed out the door. The little Ninja paused in her steps and looked back at Leira. "Oh, by the way, nice outfit." she winked and continued on her way to the upper deck.

"Junon harbor!" shouted one of the vessels crew as the ship began to enter Junon port. "Now boarding for the Gold Saucer."

Leira and Yuffie disembarked while hundreds of people began to board.

The small group of tourists not going to the Gold Saucer made their way down the boarding ramp and entered a small area where they would receive their baggage and any other items. They watched with envy as another crane lowered Leira's Hightime to the ground.

"Thompson and Kisaragi, your vehicle is waiting." Leira and Yuffie walked over to the vehicle and climbed in.

The boat docked on the outskirts of the city. Busses lined up to provide transportation to Junon's many visitors.

It was not much of a drive from the dock to the city. Yuffie wished it had been longer. The car rode smooth and the soft leather seats were quite comfortable. Yuffie swore that she could close her eyes and drift off to sleep.

"Here we are." Leira said as they pulled into the little fishing village underneath the large cliff-side city. She looked around as she exited the vehicle. "Didn't you say someone was supposed to meet us here?"

Yuffie got out and stared in disbelief. "I thought he'd be here. I...never mind." she stopped. "There he is!"

The little girl pointed over to a young man with spiky blonde hair. He seemed thin and wiry. He was wearing a white T-shirt and dark blue shorts. The young man was rather engrossed with a small bed of yellow flowers. "Don't mind the flowers," she said apologetically. "It's just something he's been doing to keep the memory of his last girl alive."

Leira suddenly could not take the brightness of the sun. The reflection of the sunlight bouncing off the ocean was beautiful but it was murder on her eyes. She leaned into the car to rummage around for her sunglasses. For a town built underneath a bustling city the sun was very bright.

"Yo, Cloud." Yuffie shouted jumping up and down waving her arms excitedly. "Cloud, over here!"

The blonde haired boy looked up from his work to see where the shouting was coming from. He pushed himself to his feet. A smile seemed to cross his lips as he started to dust his hands off onto his shirt. He spotted Yuffie and waved back at her.

"I'm going on ahead. I'll wait for you over there." Yuffie ran down to Cloud and embraced him. She pushed her head into his chest. "It's been a long time."

"It has." he said as he wrapped his arms around her. "Hey, Yuffie." he said slowly. "Who did you want me to meet?"

Yuffie looked up and at him than looked back in the direction of the car. "She was over near the car," she murmured. Just as she started to open her mouth to yell for Leira, the Turk emerged from the vehicle.

With sunglasses on her face, Leira walked forward a little than stopped, eyeing the young boy. "Oh, my god." she murmured quietly.

Cloud stared at her. This woman was beautiful. She had long wavy hair that went down to the small of her back. She wore a little white shirt that exposed her midsection and a black jacket over her shirt.

He looked her up and down noticing the little black mini skirt she wore and her black knee high boots with long stiletto heels.

Leira slowly started to remove her jacket. She pulled her left arm out of its sleeve than the right. The shirt was rather revealing. It had straps instead of sleeves and just barely covered the modest curves of her bust-line.

"Tifa?!" Cloud murmured.

Yuffie smiled looking up at Cloud. "No. Cloud, meet Leira."

Cloud looked down into Yuffie's gaze with a look of confusion on his face. "Leira?"

"That's me." Leira removed her sunglasses.

Cloud shook his head in disbelief. He had seen this woman before. Where was it he first met her? He wondered. The memories of his days in SOLDIER suddenly came flooding back to him. How could he forget her?

"Mom, is that you?"

"Mom?" Yuffie blurted out, slapping her hands over her face. "I thought you told me your mom was..."

Leira slapped the back of Yuffie's head. She put her face next to the girl's. "She is, and he knows that."

"Strife?" the Elite paused. "You've grown. Look at you."

"After all these years," Cloud moving to embrace the woman who supported him through his first years in the Shinra military, "you're still calling me by my last name."

Leira smiled and held him close to her. This boy was very much like a son to her in the early days before she became one of the Elite. It reminded her of how small the world really was.

"I can't believe you guys know each other." Yuffie said still in shock.

"God, you were only sixteen when you entered into the army. "Look at those Mako eyes." Leira whispered to him. "Still got the hat hair," she said playfully.

"Hey," he returned, "Have you been doing any more centerfold shots?"

Leira blushed and grabbed him in a front headlock. "Shhh." she said letting go with her right hand to gently pound the back of his head.

Yuffie was still in shock. "You guys know each other?" was all she could say for the moment.

"Cloud...Cloud who's this?" inquired a small voice.

Leira let go of the spiky headed boy and turned to look at the owner of the voice. A little girl, maybe a couple years younger than Yuffie stood before her.

This girl had a deep tan and dark brown hair.

"Priscilla, I'd like you to meet one of my friends back from my army days."

The girl turned pale. "You...How dare you bring in a Shinra." she spat.

Cloud began to get upset. "Damn it. She's a friend of mine. I've known her for a long time..."

"Next thing you're going to tell me she's a Turk!" Priscilla became angrier.

"Actually…" was all Leira had the time to say in her defense.

"I wanted to marry you of all people, Cloud Strife. Now I see that will not ever happen. No, now you're content on bringing in Shinra FLOOZIES!" With that, Priscilla turned on her heels and headed for a small house located just inches from the cliff wall.

"What was that about?" Leira asked slowly. "Was that your fiancé?"

Cloud shook his head. "No. She wished she were though." He paused and looked over at the flowers. "No. Back when we came here on the trail of Sephiroth, Priscilla got caught up in one of our battles. She almost drowned. I kind of saved her life, now she thinks that because I gave her CPR we're to be married."

"I'm sorry, kid." Leira said apologetically.

Cloud shrugged his shoulders. "Yuffie, could you go and explain things to Priscilla. I've got some catching up to do."

"Right-o." Yuffie turned and made her way towards the house that Priscilla ran off to.

Cloud smiled at Leira. "Let's go down to the beach. The residents of Junon did a great job cleaning up the majority of the pollution here. Reeve really got them motivated."

"Is Reeve here?"

"No. He went over to Costa del Sol last week. Everybody here figured he needed a vacation." Cloud replied.

The two of them made their way to the solid granite steps leading down to the beach. Once at the beach Leira removed her military issue boots.

"You really don't know how good it is to see you." Cloud sat down on a rock sticking out a few feet above the ocean.

"It's good to see you, Cloud," she said with a distant smile.

"You called me by name." Cloud yelped with mock surprise.

Leira sat down next to him and smiled. "I need you to help me."

"That's it huh? Call me by my name when you need something." Cloud smiled. He edged his way over to Leira and put his head against her shoulder. "What's up, mom?"

Leira breathed in deep. "Before he died, Tseng gave me a mission."

Cloud straightened up. "What mission was that?"

"He wanted me to find someone."

"Who?" He asked.

Leira looked away from him. She knew it was going to be hard for Cloud to hear and understand what she was about to say. It was almost eight years ago to the day when her target went on a tirade and burned down the boy's hometown. His real mother was one of the lives claimed that day. "I'm looking for Sephiroth. I was hired to find him and stop him."

Cloud closed his blue eyes and shook his head. "If I told you he was dead, would you believe me?"

Leira looked at him for a moment and turned her gaze to the ocean. "No." she said finally.

Cloud was used to this. Once she had her mind on something, it would only take strong evidence to make her believe anything else. Cloud had no proof the man called Sephiroth was dead. He was the one who finished him off but, for some odd reason, he was unsure of Sephiroth's death. "True evil never dies." He rested his head on Leira's shoulder again. "I can feel him. I know he's still alive. I've been trying to ignore my feelings for a while now."

"I'm sorry, Cloud. If you're able, I would like your help in finding him."

"I can't believe everything Aeris did was for nothing. Holy couldn't stop him. She died at his hands for nothing." Cloud stood. "We could have had a future together and he took it all away. I'll do anything I can to make sure he pays for what he did to us and for what he did to the planet."

Leira looked down at her knees. She folded her hands in front of her. She knew Cloud for almost five years, he was like a son to her. Why was she hurt by the feelings he had for Aeris. "She was important to you. It's only natural you feel this way."

Cloud looked down at her. He noticed Leira's knees pulled up into her chest with her face buried in her arms. "You okay?"

Leira looked up into his deep blue eyes and nodded.

"If we're going to be looking for Sephiroth we will definitely need help. The rest of the guys are scattered around the world but we've been keeping in touch. Some of the gang I haven't heard from in a couple years. It'll be good to see them again."

Leira watched as Cloud sat back down next to her. "How do you think they'll feel about seeing a Turk?"

A grin crossed Cloud's face. "Shinra's gone and you're still a Turk?"

"Until the mission's done that's all I can be," she straightened out her legs.

Cloud Strife looked at her for a couple seconds. The smile on his face never faded as he rested his head on her knees. "I know."

"Hey guys!" Yuffie shouted, "Priscilla's still mad but if she sees you guys like that she's going to be out for blood."

The spiky haired boy got up and smiled. He extended his hand to Leira to help her up off the ground.

"What did you guys do?" Yuffie whispered into Leira's ear.

Leira blushed and turned to walk up the steps ahead of the others.

"Couldn't you just get lost in those green eyes?" the young ninja turned to look at Cloud.

The boy stood for a moment pondering her words. "Yuffie," he said, "I don't think I will ever be the right one for her." with that he turned and made his way up the steps after the Turk Elite.

"You've just got to try harder!" she yelled after Cloud. "Hey-wait for me."

Leira, Cloud and Yuffie entered Priscilla's house. Ever since he saved her life, Priscilla had always welcomed Cloud into her home. His friends were welcome also, depending on who they were.

"Listen," Priscilla, said to Leira, "I'm sorry about earlier. I just have a lot of things to hate your kind for. Yuffie told me that you're just wearing those clothes because you've got a job to do and you're sticking to it until it's done. I understand that. I also understand that you used to live here, too." she paused to look at Cloud. "I'm going to be nice to you even though you are Shinra and you lived in the city above us."

Leira's eyes narrowed at the girl.

"Priscilla," Cloud noticed Leira's expression. "She's done nothing to you yet. I wouldn't push her anymore."

"Sorry, Cloud." the girl said quietly. "What's your mission anyway?" she directed to Leira.

"I'm looking for Sephiroth. I've been inspecting the Midgar area and following some other possible leads to him. Everything's come up bleak in terms of..."

"That's before I found her." Yuffie butted in.

Cloud looked around the room than back at Priscilla. "I'm in on this, too," he said choosing his words carefully. "Yuffie, Leira and I will be leaving tomorrow."

"Where will you be going?" the girl asked in surprise.

"I'm pretty sure we'll find him in one of the places that he has the most ties to. I have a feeling that we may find him in Nibelheim."

"You can't be serious." Leira said sharply. "That's all the more reason for you not to go, Cloud!"

The ex-SOLDIER stood up and put his hands on the table. "Thanks, mom, but it only makes sense for him to be there. I also think it would be good to start getting the troops together. We don't know if Sephiroth's been weakened any, since we last saw him. It's best for us not to take any chances."

That night the group prepared to catch a ferry the next morning. To Yuffie's pleasure, the car was going to travel, too. They would sail to Costa del Sol and drive to the sacred mountainside village of Cosmo Canyon. Once there, Cloud hoped he would be able to meet up with two more of his friends.


	2. No Help In Cosmo Canyon

The vast territories of Cosmo Canyon were incredible to behold. She had been there only a couple times but they were all for vacation purposes. She had never had the chance to experience it with a group before. As she climbed the stone steps to the village, she became aware that eyes were on her. She studied the faces and took note of the expressions. Could it be that the people here were recognizing her as a Shinra employee? Their faces didn't contain any anger or malice. Such strange looks, she thought to herself.

"Yay, its helicopter lady!" Cried the voice of a little girl.

Leira had remembered the voice from so many years ago. She was the helicopter pilot that given orders to move a young girl and an older woman to Kalm from Midgar.

The little girl raced up to her. Her brown hair was longer now and she was a little taller. Leira was barely able to recognize her.

"Marlene Wallace!" She exclaimed.

The little girl gave a huge smile and playfully punched her in the stomach. "Silly!" she said to Leira.

Leira had enjoyed the brief time that she spent transporting the little girl. She was very friendly and well mannered albeit a little hyperactive. Leira bent down and picked her up. "It's been a long time! Is Elmyra around?" she asked.

The Turk, despite her employers, had spent awhile talking to Elmyra Gainsbourough, Aeris' adoptive mother. Elmyra had been broken up over her daughter's death. Leira, as well as a few others, had tried to comfort her. Leira was surprised to see Marlene here so she figured that Elmyra might also be around.

Marlene fell silent for a while. "No, she's off on a vacation. She went to visit the Icicle place. They've got another marker for the flower lady."

"You know her?" Cloud could barely contain his surprise.

"Yuffie! Cloud!" shouted Marlene as Leira set her down. The seven-year-old girl embraced both of them. "Poppa will be so glad to see you! I'll go get him!" In a flash the little girl was off and running. Leira was amazed at how much energy such a little girl could have.

"She's sooo cute!" said Yuffie putting her hands behind her head.

"Funny, I didn't think she'd be here." Leira said voicing her surprise to Cloud.

"Barret thought it would be a good idea if he took the time to reflect and joined Nanaki over here." Cloud said.

"Nanaki?" Leira felt a little silly. She had had several files placed in front of her while doing paperwork for Tseng but she never paid any attention to it. She could see all the "wanted" files in her mind but there were too many of them back in those days to pay attention to each one.

"Hojo had captured him and had assigned him a number. We all called him Red XIII until we found out he had another name." Said Yuffie.

"Oh." Leira replied.

"Well, I'll be!" came a hearty bellow. "If it isn't SOLDIER boy!"

Cloud looked up towards the large dwelling and saw the big black man known as Barrett moving down the large steps.

Leira glanced in the direction of the loud yell and was able to recognize the man immediately. It had been almost three years to the day since she had last seen this person. She was able to remember all the events that had transpired during that time. She recalled that she had lost a good friend the same day she met the man that was approaching.

"Hey man, who's the chick?" Barrett asked incredulously as he eyed the Turk. "Marlene seemed to be pretty excited over her."

Leira began to feel upset by the memories that this man brought her. He had been a stowaway on the freighter that carried President Rufus Shinra to Costa del Sol. The same freighter that had carried the Jenova creature and Sephiroth. Leira saw one of her best friends, Timal Klefmon reduced to putty by Jenova right before her eyes. "You may not remember me, but I have certainly seen you before. Sailor suits aren't for you."

Barrett held his gun arm up to her. "You're that Shinra on that boat ain't ya?"

Leira did not even flinch. "Oh, I don't know. I'd say I was one of several Shinra on 'that boat.'" she said slyly.

Barrett growled. "Why would she be callin' you helicopter lady?"

"That's easy; I was assigned to transport Marlene and Elmyra out of the slums."

Barrett lowered his gun arm. "Shinra ain't welcome here, you know, Cloud."

The ex-SOLDIER shrugged his shoulders at her. "I know Barrett but she's on our side…"

"SHIII-IIIT, man, Shinra don't take no sides!" the black man blurted out.

"Barrett if you'll just listen…"

"It's apparent that he's not going to listen." Leira said as she crossed her arms. "I don't know why you thought he'd be able to help us in the first place."

Cloud realized quickly that he was dealing with two very hardheaded people. He scratched the back of his head as he tried to figure out a way to talk to the both of them.

"Poppa about Naki!" came Marlene's voice.

All attention focused on the stairs underneath the large observatory. There, walking down the steps with Marlene was the new head elder of Cosmo Canyon, Red XIII.

The orange lion strode down the stone steps with pride. He smiled, as he was able to see the familiar faces of years passed gather. "If it isn't Cloud Strife. How've you been?" he asked.

Cloud smiled back. "Been good, sir."

"Who's the new girl?" the elder asked. Nanaki sniffed the air surrounding the Elite. "She smells familiar."

Cloud gave his "mother" a warning look. He knew what her introduction would be and feared the creature's response.

"'Course she does. She's a Shinra." Barrett shouted. "Remember the boat? The Highwind? She was in a couple other places too!"

Nanaki lowered his head. "Is this true?"

Leira suddenly felt ashamed. "Yes. I'm a Turk. I don't recall meeting any of you so many times but my memory hasn't been what it used to be lately." She waited to be pounced on and mauled by the beast.

Cloud was crossing his fingers in his mind. He knew how much Red XIII had hated the Shinra. He had been taken from his home and experimented on, until Cloud and the others had rescued him.

"Let's talk about this inside shall we?" Cosmo Canyon's chief turned and led the group into the cliff-side observatory that had originally belonged to his grandfather. Once inside everyone was seated.

"It's strange to see a Shinra step into this type of surrounding…let alone someone who still keeps her tradition alive. What brings you here?"

The Turk tried to overcome her uneasiness. "I'm looking for Sephiroth. I was hired a couple years ago to find him."

"You're a little late for that ain't ya!" Barrett was getting tired of her being around and wasn't afraid to let his voice be heard.

"Please, Barrett. Let her talk." Shot Cloud.

"Sephiroth…" Red XIII exhaled. "He is…"

Leira looked up. "Yes."

"He's dead. He's not a concern anymore."

Leira shook her head vigorously. "He's still alive! I know he is! I have to find him. I have to finish this job. Meteor didn't kill him!"

"OF COURSE METEOR DIDN'T KILL HIM, CLOUD DID!" Nanaki's voice boomed.

The Turk turned her head away. Why was this conversation getting so difficult?

"Cloud, you saw him destroyed right?"

The boy nodded. "Yes but…"

Red XIII wanted to hear nothing else.

Leira got to her feet. "Doesn't it seem strange to you that rumors are still circulating about that man still wandering around? I'm sure you've heard them."

"Nanaki, I've often considered the notion that he may still be alive too. He was just too powerful to disappear." Added Cloud.

"It's none of our concern. Even if he is alive…which is doubtful." The chief sat on his haunches next to Barrett. "We are a peaceful people here. That is something that a cold-blooded killer could never understand. If he does still exist, there is no way that he can be as powerful. Meteor and Holy have gone away. There is nothing more he can do. You can go about your own mission. My people will do nothing to help you."

Cloud stood up. "I'm helping her."

"Me too." Said Yuffie.

"I will give you my blessings and ask that you all leave here. If you should find your peace, you may return." Nanaki waved his fiery tale at them to direct them to the door.

Leira was the first to get up and leave. She was determined to succeed, with or without the support of a vigilante turned born again savior.

Cloud and Yuffie were next to follow.

"That was fruitless." Yuffie muttered to herself.

Marlene looked at her father and headed down the stairs behind the rest of the group.

They were at the exit when Marlene decided to speak. "You can come back here." She smiled at Leira. "I'll let you in."

Lieandra patted her on the head. "Thank you."

"No problem. It was good to see you all, again! Good luck!" The little one chided.

"We'll see you again squirt." Yuffie winked and playfully punched her in the arm.

Leira, Cloud, and Yuffie hugged the girl one last time and walked down the stone steps.

"I thought for sure they would help us." Cloud was a little more than disappointed.

"Wonder what was wrong." Yuffie muttered.

"I wasn't expecting any miracles." The Turk replied. "Usually people that have been through hell don't want to relive it. The sad part is that there will be less people involved to prevent that same hell if it ever gets rolling again." She opened the door to her car and got in.

Cloud got into the back seat and Yuffie sat up front. Yuffie chuckled to herself each time her blonde haired friend would lower his head to get in. "Can't muss the hair can we?" she laughed as she turned around in her seat and rested her chin on the seat back.

"What?" asked Cloud.

The little Ninja could hardly contain her laughter. "Nothing!" she giggled. She looked back at the Turk.

The Elite's expression was grim. She was losing valuable time. She remembered the severe injuries sustained in the days that led up to Midgar being trashed. If it wasn't the large beasts known as Weapon, it was Meteor and all the chaos its release caused. It took years for her battered and broken body to mend. She was damned if she was going to let all that happened go to waste. She did not suffer for nothing.

The silence was making Cloud uncomfortable. "Hey, mom." He said at last. "Yuffie and I will help…I think I can convince a couple others to come along too." His words fell on deaf ears as Leira started the car.

"Come on, girl. Hear him out." Yuffie pushed.

The Hightime began to move as Leira backed it up.

"Two of them won't be too far away. They're just on the other side of Mount Nibel." Cloud continued. "We can always enlist their help and check out Nibelheim. It seems like the most likely place to start our search."

"You go, Cloud!" Yuffie shot her arms up in mock celebration. "That's an awesome idea!"

"So how about it?" asked Cloud.

"Alright, but if they don't want to help, don't mention anymore names. I'll do it on my own, with or without the help of you or your friends." Leira turned the vehicle around and headed toward the shallow river located just in front of the former sleepy village.

As the car began to cross the water, Yuffie turned around. "Hey Cloud?"

The ex-SOLDIER looked at her. "Yeah."

"You're not talking about Rocket Town are you…?"

The vehicle came to a sudden stop. Yuffie managed to cling to the seat in order to save herself from crashing against the dashboard.

"What's wrong?" Cloud asked Leira.

"Rocket Town? The formerly owned Shinra town. The one that's very much anti-Shinra oriented…That Rocket Town?!"

"Most people are anti-Shinra. It's nothing new." Said Yuffie pointedly.

"There are a couple people that understand what you're going through. The entire town used to work for Shinra. I believe that you are still trying to find Sephiroth in order to do some good. Tseng did have a good heart despite the work he did…you do, too."

"It's not my heart I'm worried about. It's being chased out of a town by an angry mob and getting the car damaged." Leira retorted.

"Not the car!" Yuffie gasped.

"Everything will be okay. I promise you, mom."

Yuffie felt relaxed until she remembered just whom Cloud was referring. "WAIT A DAMN MINUTE!"

Leira slammed on the brakes as Cloud grabbed a door handle to try to steady himself. "What's wrong Yuffie?"

"I know who you're talkin' about. In case you haven't forgotten, when we parted ways…that guy told everyone that he never wanted to see me again! He was rather pissed off at me the whole time…guy's just a bleeding heart anyway…if you ask me." She grumbled.

Leira hit the accelerator and drove into the town of Nibelheim.


	3. Making New Friends

A roadway had been built through the mountain to encourage more travel. This was another one of Reeve's job renewal programs. Many people were still very reluctant to drive through Nibelheim to get there.

"Does anyone need to stop for anything?" In her heart, the Turk had prayed that she could keep the car moving.

"In this place…are you kidding?!"

"I'm with Yuffie on this one. We can get more supplies in Rocket Town. I don't mean to sound bad or anything but, if he's here, I'd rather have reinforcements…just in case."

Leira did not bother to argue. The truth of the matter was that this town always gave her the creeps, ever since it burned to the ground almost ten years earlier. She could not understand why Shinra pushed for the rebuilding of the town back than.

None of the three travelers bothered to look at the buildings, as the red sports car drove through. They did notice that the town still had the look of being deserted.

Along the highway, Leira noticed that the old Shinra Mako reactor was still in place. She quietly wondered about how Cloud was taking this trip down memory lane. She was not aware of all the details surrounding his life but the events that she did know about made her even more concerned for him. She looked into the rearview mirror at him. To her surprise, he had fallen asleep. She remembered the times that they had traveled together when they were both under Shinra employment. The company hated sending him on missions because of his problems with motion sickness. "A lot's changed." She whispered and returned her focus to the road.

Yuffie pressed her face against the window and studied some of the different types of monsters that still inhabited the blackened mountain. She remembered a certain monster that helped her beef up her enemy skill materia. "Materia Keeper, my ass." She muttered. "I showed you, didn't I?!" She giggled evilly. The ability that she had learned allowed her to harness the power of lightning and fire all in one. She remembered all the times that she was able to use the spell called Trine.

Hours later, the car made it through the mountain and surrounding valleys and pulled into Rocket Town.

Yuffie got out of the car first and nervously looked around.

"I doubt he's going to do anything. He'll know that we need him for a job." Cloud tried to comfort the little girl.

Leira ignored the talk and made her way to the inn. "I'll go ahead and reserve a room. I want to get a bath in and put on a change of clothes."

"I'm coming too." Yuffie ran after her.

Cloud scratched his head. "I guess I'll go ahead and look for Cid, then."

The inn looked the same way as it did so many years ago. The Turk was hardly surprised. It had been her experience; quiet small towns usually maintained the look as they started out.

The women made their way to the back of the inn. Leira rang a brass bell on the counter to get the attention of the innkeeper.

"Can I help you?" asked the innkeeper.

"Party of three please. Showers included are a must," stated the Turk as her eyes wandered around the lobby of the inn.

"That will be one hundred gil," said the attendant. "Would you like help with your baggage?"

"No. We'll get it later," said Leira as she handed over a money transfer card. She looked over at Yuffie who was quietly mumbling about not taking plastic. The card was read and the keys were handed over.

"Thank you." Leira said and traveled up the stairs to where the rooms were. She matched the room number etched into the key with the correct room and opened the door. "You know you can go and meet up with Cloud. I'm going to be awhile."

"That's okay!" Yuffie pushed. "I'd feel safer with you around. That other guy hates me."

Lieandra did not bother to question the girl. She walked into the bathroom and disrobed as Yuffie lie down on one of the beds. "I'm hungry." The young girl groaned.

"You should have thought about that before. You can go eat, now…you really don't have to wait for me, you know."

"I'm just gonna catch some z's while you get cleaned up."

Cloud returned after a while and brought some of the group's luggage. He heard the water in the shower running and stood beside the open bathroom door. "I can tell that, modesty is still your top priority." He laughed.

Leira poked her hand out from behind the shower curtain and extended her middle finger to the boy.

"I'm wounded!" Cloud laughed. I'm going to set your clothes by the shower.

"Thanks, kid."

The spiky haired ex-SOLDIER slowly shut the bathroom door.

"No you don't." Leira shouted.

The smile never left his face as he pushed the door back open. She was still the exhibitionist type.

After her long hot shower, Leira pulled out her formal Elite uniform. She knew that she would probably end up causing a commotion, but the skintight black blue and gold uniform was like a second skin to her. She pulled on the black leggings and buttoned up the "over dress", as she called it.

Cloud had spread himself on the second bed as Leira approached him. She sat down beside him and began to put her high-heeled black boots on.

"So, did you meet up with those friends of yours?" she asked.

"Yep. They're interested in meeting you." He smiled.

"Is that so?" she purred.

The twenty four year old got up and patted his "mother" on the thigh. "Well, it's my turn to take a bath." He pulled his shirt off and headed for the bathroom.

"Whooo-hoooo!" shouted Yuffie. "There ya go! Take it all off, Cloudy man!"

He chucked his shirt at Yuffie's head and turned back to Leira.

"Y'know, I'm a guy. So I can do that type of thing." He flashed a bright smile at her.

"Well, I'm not a guy and I don't care." The Turk countered.

He just shrugged and stood in the doorway for a couple seconds. "Oh, I'm also going to shut the door behind me, too. I believe in knocking on doors." With that, he shut the door behind him.

Leira mimicked him as the door closed and stuck her tongue out. "He still embarrasses easily. I always loved that about him."

"Did you guys ever hook up? Y'know…romantically," asked the little brown haired Ninja.

"He's too young. He's still just a kid."

"I saw you turn red and start grinnin' when he stripped for ya!"

"I admit that he's a gorgeous kid…but my heart belongs to someone else still."

"Oh." Yuffie chocked. She still wanted to hook up the two. "Well, I'm going to get cleaned up too…when he's out of course…I'll give you guys some alone time."

"Why wait?" The Turk got up and knocked on the bathroom door.

"What's up?" Cloud said on the other side. She could hear water stirring and figured that he really had decided to take a bath instead of a shower. She opened the door and closed it behind her.

"What are you doing?!" He tied to think of a way to hide is nudity. All he could do was put his washcloth over his groin area.

"Oh, come on kid. I've seen every part of you before, remember. You and every other guy in the men's shower room back at Shinra headquarters. I'm surprised you didn't cover your chest!"

He wanted to throw his covering at her but thought better of it.

"I just wanted to point out to you that your bags are still next to your bed." She was grinning from ear to ear.

"You can be such a pervert." He snickered.

"I just wanted to talk for a bit. I won't stare…too much…" She coughed as Cloud lifted the cloth and resumed scrubbing. "I promise…" she snickered.

Besides the obvious parts of the male anatomy, Leira focused on Cloud's arms. On the outside, Cloud seemed scrawny. He was actually pretty muscular. She was rather impressed with him.

"You realize that your little friend has been working hard at getting us together."

He paused for a second and blinked. "I thought so, too."

"It's not that I'm against it or anything but…you know how it is."

Cloud began to shampoo his hair. "Yeah. We all still have our ghosts and lost loves. I'm sorry about Yuffie being that way."

"It's actually kind of sweet. I think so anyway." She blushed a little. "I wanted to ask you about your friends, the ones that we're supposed to meet in this town."

Cloud gave it a little thought. "Well, one of them is an older pilot and a bit of a tough guy. He's a nice guy and has helped me out in a lot of situations…he can be a bit of a pig too…I guess. He cusses like a sailor for cryin' out loud. I can actually see you guys getting into a few arguments, actually."

"What about the other guy?"

"Hmmm. He's a nice guy, too. He used to work for Shinra, a long time ago. I don't think you'd know him though. He worked for them before I was even born. He has kind of a shy side to him. There's just something about being around him. You get this weird feeling. I can't really describe it exactly. One thing you've got to keep in mind, he does make snap decisions about people. He's the guy that doesn't like Yuffie…" Cloud raised an eyebrow. "He doesn't like too many women period."

Leira reached over to the sink and grabbed a cup. She started to help the ex-SOLDIER rinse his hair. "You ever thought about getting it cut? It's hard to tell how long it is when it's all stuck up."

He flinched and splashed a little water at her.

"Well, I'll let you finish up. Yuffie wanted to go in after you." She walked to the door and opened it. "Oh, when are we going to meet these friends of yours?"

"I figured that we could stop by later today."

"Good boy." Leira smiled and left.

A few hours later, the group was ready to go. Leira followed Cloud through the town. Yuffie seemed to be content with walking real close to her. Whoever this person was was making her upset.

"This is the place." He said.

They were standing in front of a brown house with a white fence surrounding it. It seemed a little run down, but at the same time, it gave a rather cheerful feeling.

Cloud knocked on the door.

"Just a damn minute! I'm comin'! If yer a salesman, I sure as HELL don't want any!"

"He seems awful pleasant." Leira muttered.

"Wait till you meet him." Yuffie mumbled. "It gets better."

The large wooden door opened up. "What the hell do you…?" There was a man standing in the doorway. He wore a white t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. He had short blonde hair and a little facial stubble. The one word that Leira could think of to describe him was "grizzled". She figured that he was at least in his mid to late thirties. His voice sounded rather harsh.

"Cloud! It's been awhile…I see you brought the girl." He hugged Cloud and shook Yuffie's hand. "Still up to yer thieving'." He joked.

Yuffie rolled her eyes at him. "Nope, not no more."

"Come on in, have a seat. Kick back." He stood by the side of the entryway and motioned them in.

Cloud and Yuffie entered first. Leira was still trying to study their host. "Hey, Cloud…who's the chick? She's quite a babe. An armed babe but still a babe."

Leira had decided to bring along her favorite weapon. In case of any trouble, she refused to be without it. She was still skeptical about the town and its people.

Cloud smiled and introduced the two. "Leira, this is Cid Highwind. Cid, this is Leira. She's working on finding Sephiroth."

Leira was a little surprised. "You're Cid Highwind? The Highwind airship, Highwind?"

"That's my baby." He reached over and shook her hand. "It's a sweet design. Helped me through a lot of hard times."

"You were a pilot for Shinra's space program, weren't you?" asked Leira.

"Yeah. I did a lot of things that I'm not proud of." The veteran pilot was becoming curious. "How did you know?"

"I was in one of your classes many years ago." She answered.

"You with Shinra?" Cid went over to a counter and put a kettle on the stove.

"I'm with the Elite division of the Turks." Leira did not like to play around with her answers.

"You say you're a Turk, huh? You might want to be careful around..." Cid was cut off by a loud crash as scrap metal hit the ground.

"WHO THE HELL IS THAT?!" boomed a voice.

"Uh, oh." grimaced Yuffie.

"Too late." murmured Cid.

Leira spun around. This was the third shock to her system. She had no idea how much more of this she could take.

"That's a Turk uniform...Where did you get it?" The owner of the voice was a tall black haired man. He had the strangest eyes. They were red, blood red, to be precise. He was dressed in a black turtleneck and a black pair of jeans. His long shoulder length black hair accented his stern features perfectly. She also could not help but notice that his left arm seemed a little different somehow. It looked like he had a long golden claw attached to his arm right above the elbow.

"Now, now, Vince..." Cid piped in trying to soothe his friend.

"The Turks were a plague to this land and you have the gall to..." His eyes began to glow even redder than when he had first entered the kitchen of the Highwind house. He was cut short by a very audible, "HMPH." Leira swung her AK-47 into her hands. She raised it and took aim at the Turk hater.

Vincent Valentine straightened at the sight of the weapon and ran his hands through his thick black hair.

"You're a Turk I see." he said coldly.

Leira paused. Any other time she would have blown his head off, but this time she felt something different about him. She could not put her finger on it.

Vincent was not about to waste any time. He quickly kicked the gun out of her hands.

Being disarmed was not enough to stop Leira, but than again, it never did. She put her hands behind her head and backed away from Vincent.

Vincent tilted his head to the side, curious as to what her counter would be. He did not have to wait long. Leira lunged with a quick punch aimed right at his head.

Vincent moved quickly to avoid her punch and caught it a few inches from his face. He than twisted her arm behind her.

"Do we really have to fight?" he whispered into her ear.

Leira gave an evil grin, "Uh, huh." With that, she swung her left leg into the air hitting him in the face with her foot.

Vincent let go of her, staggered back, and went to throw a punch at her.

"Now children...ooo..." Cid had gotten in the way of Vincent's punch as he attempted to separate the two combatants.

"Cid, geez guy, I'm sorry." He bent down to check on his fallen friend when he heard a menacing, "Yooo-hooo."

Not missing a beat, Leira had wandered over to the kitchen table and grabbed one of the chairs beneath it. The wooden chair was held above her head, threatening to strike both of them at any second.

"Now, now," a soft feminine voice said as Leira's chair toss halted. "We don't need any violence...especially not at the dinner table."

The voices owner coaxed Leira to put the chair down then walked into view. "Hello. I'm Shera." she smiled.

"Leira. Look, I'm sorry. I'm trained to react I...I..." Leira started to apologize.

"That's okay," Shera interrupted. She was about one head shorter than Lieandra, with long sandy brown hair that was just a shade lighter than Leira's. She was dressed in a light green sweater with matching pants. The glasses that she wore gave her a rather sophisticated look. She was pleasant to look at and seemed, to Leira, to be a thoughtful person. "Vincent and Cid are the same way," she pointed to the pair.

"Vincent." Leira stammered.

"That would be me. I'm Vincent Valentine."

The two stood there staring at each other.

"Uhnn," moaned Cid. "Gawd Vince, you've got a helluva punch."

Leira looked down at her feet. "I'm sorry." she apologized.

Vincent drew in a long breath. "No, I'm afraid it's me that should apologize. I started this whole mess." He moved in closer to look at the girl wearing the Turk Elite uniform, "I just didn't expect to see this again." He said pointing at the sky blue uniform.

Leira tilted her head to the side and eyed him cautiously. "What is it you have against the Turks?"

Valentine smiled. "I used to be one."

Leira's jaw dropped.

"The very uniform that you are wearing signifies you as one of the Turk Elite. Shinra started hiring and promoting people to this rank around the time that I learned Lucrecia was pregnant." He paused and considered the age of the female Turk. "That would have to have been over thirty years ago."

Leira winced at the name Lucrecia. What could this wiry man, with a claw arm, have to do with the mother of Sephiroth? Her normally tan appearance began to noticeably pale.

"Umm," Cid butted in, rubbing the shiner that was starting to form over his left eye. "Maybe the three of us can go to the inn and discuss all this stuff over a couple nice cold ones." He turned to Shera, "Woman, we're heading out."

"Three?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN THREE?! Whotta bout poor Yuffie?!" Yuffie jumped up and down on her toes angrily.

"Please don't come home snockered this time, Cid. I'm tired of having to drag you to your room." Shera pleaded.

"Okay, we're off!" Cid ignored her as the trio made their way out the door. "Oh, Shera, mind the kid." He said sticking his head back through the doorway.

"Well, dear, it looks like it's just you and me, for a while." Shera tried to comfort the nineteen year old as best as she could.

"HMPH." Yuffie spat as she sat down at the kitchen table and buried her head in her arms. "They never let me have any fun.


	4. Here Comes The Flood

"I've tried to set Vince up with everyone under the sun." Cid beamed, "I try to let people know that he's a little different. Vince, you just have to liven up a little."

"BAH." Vincent spat as he got up and stormed out of the inn.

Leira watched him leave and looked at Cid. "You're his friend shouldn't you..."

"It's okay. It's not the first time this has happened. He'll be okay." Cid reassured her. "I'll tell you what; I'm going to head back to the house. Why don't you spend some time with him and catch up on some old times?"

"What 'old times'?! I wasn't even born when he was a Turk! There's nothing really we can catch up on." She shook her head.

"Well, you two have fun." Cid said as he lit one of his cigarettes. He leaned over and kissed Lieandra on the cheek. "You're a beautiful girl," he whispered into her ear, "I think you're just what he needs." Cid Highwind gave her a small wave than started out the door.

Leira just stood there. She was in this to find Sephiroth. Why was everybody out to set up a love connection for her?

She shook her head and followed after Cid. She had guessed that Cid would be heading back to the house. She would catch up with him later.

As she made her way through Rocket Town, she could not help but wonder where Vincent went.

"Miss Thompson." Came a voice from somewhere above her.

Leira stopped in her tracks. She threw her head back as she began to realize where the voice was coming from.

"AAAAGGGGHhhhh!" she screamed as Vincent's upside down features swung into view.

Vincent's eyes opened wide in surprise as she screamed in his face. The shock was so great; he almost released his ankles from the tree branch he was hanging from.

A couple seconds passed as the two began to settle down. Vincent gathered his dangling long black hair into his hands after almost choking on the strands that covered his face. "I'm sorry," he said at last. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

Leira began to recover some of her composure. "That's okay." she chuckled. "That was pretty sad. A big bad Turk Elite like me screaming at the slightest little surprise." She held her hands to her chest. "God, you'd think I was a little girl visiting the Haunted Hotel at the Golden Saucer for the first time."

The ex-Turk gave her a wide smile. "I personally didn't find it to be scary." He said as he reached out with his clawed left hand. "Unlike me, you're only human."

Leira looked at the claw and looked into his red eyes as they hung just inches from her face. She shook her head and took his arm.

"Here we go." Vincent pulled them both up to the tree branch.

She could not believe how strong he was. Such a frail looking man, he was. She began to wonder if he had as much power as Sephiroth was said to have had.

Silence seemed to overtake the two as they sat and stared out over the small town. It was a beautiful starry evening. All of Rocket Town was lit up. It was such a tiny cozy little town.

Leira looked over at Vincent. She could not help but sense a strange sadness that seemed to radiate from him. He was very handsome. His wild black hair did nothing to subtract from his looks either. She noticed that his skin was almost a deathly white and found herself wondering if there was any truth to what both men had said about him being the walking dead. Maybe it was some kind of a strange skin condition.

"So, uh, you come here often?" Leira said trying to break the silence. Usually, she did not mind silence. Back in her days with the Turks, Rude, Reno and Tseng would always drink and be rowdy on their slow days. Leira had to admit; she was the same way, too, at times. There were some occasions when the guys would just get out of hand. Those were the days when she would find comfort in silence.

He titled his head to the side. "You might say that."

"So what brought you out to Rocket Town?" she asked.

He gazed at her thoughtfully, "I'm here because of Cid. After Sephiroth and Meteor were taken care of, there really wasn't any place for me to go."

"I'm sorry." Leira apologized.

"No, don't apologize. I spent a lot of time in Nibelheim. Even after my death." Vincent eyed her for a couple seconds than looked back towards the town. "I was experimented on and left to sleep and atone for my sins. I would have slept longer had it not been for Cloud, Nanaki, Yuffie, Aeris, Tifa, and Cait Sith."

In truth Leira was dumbfounded. She did not have prior experience with talking to the undead. She pulled herself away from the strange man, visibly shaken. "Why didn't you go back to Nibelheim?"

"I could have," he answered with a slight smile, sensing her fear. "Truth be told, I was thinking about going back. Cid said he thought it would be better if I stayed with him."

"He must be a good friend."

Vincent paused and looked at his knees. The liquor must have been affecting him. It was not often he found himself talking so much and to a total stranger-let alone a female stranger. "He gave me a job here in this town." He slowly nodded. "We're putting the Highwind back together."

"The big airship that sat on the landing strip in Junon?! That Highwind?"

Vincent studied the puzzlement on her face. "The very same. We have been working on it for two years, now. We've been running back and forth to Midgar taking some of the metal that can be salvaged and using it to repair the airship. Cid and the others planned to build a statue dedicated to Aeris on the airstrip back in Junon."

Leira began to wonder about this girl named Aeris. The last she had heard about the girl was that she was the child of one of Shinra's top scientists, Professor Gast. She also remembered hearing something about the professor turning up dead. She had never actually met the girl or Gast for that matter. There was a rumor at one point, Leira recalled, about Hojo finding her after a few years and wanting to do some tests on her.

Leira felt silly that she was unaware of so much that had happened around her. "Aeris was the carrier of the Holy Materia wasn't she?"

"Did you ever meet her?" Vincent asked.

"Not personally. No. I think Tseng brought her into Midgar for Hojo. I wasn't assigned to that mission. I was on my way there at that time with Rufus, the President's son. Word was going around that she was from a long extinct race called the Cetra. I never bought into all those fairy tails about the Promised Land and all the Mako energy that was supposed to be contained in it. It surprised me that Rufus did."

"Where were you stationed?" Vincent heard himself ask.

"I was in Midgar back in my army days. A short while later I was moved to Junon as a Turk. I stayed there for the rest of my regular Turk days. On vacations and company trips, I would go to Wutai, the Gold Saucer and Costa del Sol, with them. When I was assigned to baby-sit Rufus, after my promotion to Elite status, I was over in Costa del Sol. I had to take him to Midgar by helicopter when the call came in that the Cetra girl had been found." Leira stretched her arms out above her head. "That was the first time I had been to Midgar in years."

"Cloud told me that you're originally from Junon."

Leira smiled to herself. "Yep, I was born there."

"Any family?"

Leira frowned. This was another reason why she hated the past. "Mom and dad were both part of the Shinra army. Shinra sent them out to be on the front lines during their campaign against Wutai. I stayed with Uncle Reeve after they left for Wutai."

Vincent was shocked. "Reeve's your uncle!" he blurted out.

Leira's frown deepened. "What's wrong with that?"

"I'm sorry." Vincent bit his lip. "I didn't think he had any family, for some strange reason."

Leira eyed him coldly, "How do you think I got into the Shinra army? I could have gotten in on my own but Reeve thought it would be easier if he helped. My parents wanted me to join but he wasn't sure I had a future there. With a little arm twisting they got him to go along."

Leira shivered. It had to be past midnight by now. A cool breeze was starting to blow through the trees. The blue dress uniform was supposed to protect its wearer's upper body from certain elements but it left the legs exposed. Because of the open sides, the Shinra would wear black stretch pants when they worked. When she was off duty Leira would just leave her legs bare. Even though she wore those stretch pants now, and her knee-high boots, she could still feel the chilly air.

"It's starting to get cooler." Vincent said as he noticed her shivering. "Maybe, we can talk a little more later."

Leira looked into his crimson eyes. She had drawn a lot of attention from men before. She remembered a time when she was drunk and posed naked for a Shinra calendar. After she finally sobered up she did not regret what she had done, until her uncle was shipped a copy. Leira remembered Reeve being more embarrassed about it than she was. She could see his usually stern features strain as he tried to tell her to keep her clothes on.

When Reeve tried to scold her he had to do it between frequent interruptions from the men of the Shinra army, the Turks, and her fellow Elites all looking to get their copies autographed.

She dated Reno for almost a year before the calendar photos were taken. Reno did not mind at all. He had told her that he was one of her biggest fans, anyway. He also mentioned that he was man enough to trust her judgment even when she was drunk. Leira had just laughed about what he had said. Reno knew she was not modest to begin with so of course he had to let her be herself.

"Do you need help getting down?" he asked with a hint of concern in voice.

Leira shot him a glance of annoyance and pushed herself off the branch. "Guess not." Vincent said stupidly before dropping from the tree himself. The two landed on their feet, both of them eyeing each other.

CRASH

One of the branches from their hiding place broke. The branch was than followed by a body.

"Cloud?!" shrieked Leira.

The limp body of the boy was battered and bleeding. "Run...run...get help..." the boy whispered as he tried to wave them away.

Leira started to run to him, tears streaming from her eyes. "Cloud!"

"No." Vincent said grabbing her by the arms. "There's something more to this."

Cloud managed to mutter out a name before finally collapsing from his injuries. The name made Leira's blood run cold. "Sep...Sephi...Sephiroth."

"Guys, guys, Cloud saw...oh..." Cid shouted as Yuffie and Shera followed him closely.

"Sephiroth's...oh, shit." Yuffie started.

"Sephiroth's what?!" came a familiar sounding voice from above the party. "He's here?" the voice said mockingly.

Leira looked around. 'What a wonderful time to be missing her weapon' she thought. She wrenched her arm out of Vincent's grip and ran out to her "son". "Cloud." she cried as she tried to feel for a pulse.

"I can assure you, he is not dead." The trees rustled some more and another figure fell to the ground. The figure that stood before them was dressed in the same black cloak, with long white hair, that Leira had seen in her dream back in Kalm. This was the man that everyone hoped they never would see again. The man that they hoped had not survived the combined onslaught of Meteor and Holy. "He is very much alive. Just as I, too, am very much alive." Sephiroth's aquamarine eyes seemed to glow brighter as he stood before them.

He had landed just inches from Leira and Cloud. Leira looked up from her position on the ground by the boy's side. "What do you want?"

"Back off!" Cid warned.

"Shouldn't you be six feet under?! ahem Uh, sorry, Vince." Yuffie said.

"Sephiroth leave the boy alone." Vincent said ignoring the young girl.

"I have plans for this boy, Turk. I have plans for the Shinra woman as well, but the boy is more important." Sephiroth raised his left hand high into the air. As he did this, Cloud's lifeless body raised also.

This was the first time that Leira had witnessed anything like that. She was undecided if she should be awestruck or terrified at Sephiroth's strange powers. "When you've gathered your forces you may want to visit Nibelheim. There is something that I would very much like to show you." With that, Sephiroth reached out with both of his arms to Cloud. The unconscious boy seemed to fly into his waiting arms. "Until then." Sephiroth said and vanished into thin air with Cloud before the grouping.

Leira collapsed to the ground. She started pounding the ground and began to curse Sephiroth.

"What just happened?" Shera asked as she moved her way around Cid.

"I thought he was supposed to be dead." Yuffie told Vincent in puzzlement.

Vincent walked over to Leira. He placed his claw on her back and looked at her.

It was quite embarrassing to Leira, the state she was in. She had tears streaming down her face. Her dress uniform covered in thick wet mud. "What?! What do we do now?" she managed to hiss.

Cid looked at Vincent and shook his head. Yuffie approached Vincent and Leira. "I guess this is it then." she muttered. "I guess this is where we gather up the forces again."


	5. To The Town That Ate People

People go naked and pick up these trails  
Someone before me laid down these rails  
When it's loaded up too heavy,  
This engine fails  
In lovetown  
I can't settle down  
And do those teeth still match the wound  
Take a good look around  
In lovetown - Peter Gabriel (Lovetown)

Leira was in no shape emotionally to get back to the inn by herself. She did not want to stay with Cid and Shera. In fact, she really loathed being around anyone at all. Vincent considered happenings and decided that the Turk Elite stay under watch.

Almost everyone agreed. Yuffie disliked the prospect of Leira falling for the walking dead. With Cloud missing, she realized that in a struggle she probably would not be able to put up much of a fight against this woman especially since she had something precious taken from her. As much as she hated to admit it, the Turk and Turk Elite pairing made the most sense.

Vincent Valentine walked over to one of the closets in the room set-aside for him by the innkeeper. He opened up the solid oak door and removed what looked to Leira like a human arm. From her position on her bed, she could see it somewhat clearly. She put her hand to her mouth and watched as Vincent began to twist off his golden claw. "What are you doing?"

Vincent offered a faint. He knew removing and attaching his prosthetic arm could be unsettling to those that were not prepared for the sight. "You didn't think the claw was permanent, did you?" he asked. "It does give me an advantage when lifting certain objects, when it comes to being 'human' it can be bothersome."

Leira watched as he attached the human looking arm. It seemed like it was second nature to him. She guessed if she were in the same situation, she might be the same way. She preferred having both arms though.

"So, what did you do when you were a Turk?" she asked trying to get her mind off Cloud missing in action and Vincent's prosthetics.

He sat down on the bed across from Leira. "I was kind of an overseer, I guess, maybe more of a bodyguard. I really can't put it into words. I would make sure that the Jenova project in Nibelheim went smoothly...no interruptions from the locals."

"Hired muscle, huh?" she smiled.

Vincent looked at his arms. "Actually, besides some obvious, and some not so obvious changes, my build hasn't changed." he paused. "The hair was shorter. Back in my Turk days, you either had short hair or you had no hair."

"If you weren't hired muscle, what were you?"

"I was a paper pusher to a degree. My main expertise was in weapons. I was a sniper," he answered flatly.

"That is so cool!" Leira smiled broadly. "I was hired muscle and a sniper when I first started out. The desk job wasn't fun for me. Tseng got rather pissed when I made paper airplanes out of his, so-called, important documents. He'd walk into my office and end up bombarded with the tiny little air force I created. I'm surprised I made it to Elite status."

It had been a long time since he was able to carry on a conversation with a female, let alone a Turk female. During the first crusade to stop Sephiroth, Vincent kept to himself. He never really cared for Yuffie and he never was too interested in conversing with Tifa or Aeris, he was not sure why exactly. The only one that he seemed to connect with was Cid Highwind. Maybe age brought the two together as friends. Vincent began to blush. His normally pale appearance turned almost as red as his eyes.

"Is something wrong?" Leira raised an eyebrow at him.

"I'm fine. I just had a thought."

"Oh, what was it?"

Vincent shook his head. "Are you feeling any better?" he asked.

Leira looked at him. "I feel like a part of me is missing. I never really thought about Cloud that much after I was sent away to watch over Rufus." she thought for a moment, "I really didn't have much time to think, when I piloted Rufus over to Midgar."

His eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I saw Cloud fighting Rufus on top of the Shinra building when we got word that Aeris was in custody. I saw Cloud again, when Tseng ordered me to pilot a helicopter to the Gold Saucer to pick up a sacred object from a spy we had planted in your group. I was following orders. When I saw him person to person in Junon, I..." a tear fell down her cheek. "I remembered that this was my comrade."

Vincent Valentine sighed deeply. He got up from his bed and walked over to the window. Her feelings for Cloud were confusing to him. He dared not question them though for fear of making the situation even more painful for her.

"I was in love once. I guess I understand what you must be feeling at this point." He put his hands on the windowsill as he gazed outside.

"Cloud went through a lot. He's a tough kid. He's still easy to embarrass. When I saw him that last time I realized that he had done a lot of growing up. He's become quite the young man."

Now came the tough part for Vincent. He was unsure if he should ask Leira more about her relationship with Cloud. "Were your feelings for him simply paternal?"

The smile that Leira was beginning to lose rekindled. "My, my, Mr. Valentine, are we beginning to take interest in the one that almost kicked your ass not too long ago."

He wheeled around to face her. "That is not your concern! Besides, if Cid hadn't gotten in the way you would not have gained the upper hand so easily."

Leira was enjoying this conversation. She started to laugh as she got up from her bed and approached Vincent. She stood in front of him, smiling still as he clenched his fists in anger. "You've definitely got the temper that comes with being a Turk." Leira leaned in and kissed him gently on the lips before turning her attention to the window.

Vincent was in shock. He fell back against the wall next to the window and put his left hand to his lips.

"Geez, it was only a kiss. You're not going to die," she said pointedly.

Suddenly he remembered the actions of an old acquaintance. The young woman from his past had no qualms about her actions. She was free spirited and almost childish. Often times she unintentionally treated her compatriots like children by patting them on the head or using reverse psychology. _So similar to Aeris_. He thought.

Leira stared out the window. Water began to trickle down the outside of the window as it slowly started to rain. "Do you think they're out there still?" she asked letting her smile fade away.

Vincent moved to Leira's side and watched the rain with her. He spoke slowly. "I'm not sure," he said finally putting a hand on Leira's shoulder.

The next morning was hard for Lieandra. She had tossed and turned all night. Sleep was foreign to her. Vincent ended up sitting at her bedside all night keeping watch and trying to soothe her. She was grateful to this man for his attempts to comfort her.

"We'd better get cleaned up and meet with the others," he said staring at the door to their room. "You go first."

"Are you expecting company?" she asked as she followed his gaze.

"I'm not." Came his reply.

She turned over to where her luggage and unpacked her Turk uniform. She spent so much time in her muddy dress uniform; she figured it would be in her best interest to keep up with her Turk uniform. It was a habit for her. When she visited places without a strong Shinra presence, she would don her Turk uniform. For places booming with Shinra life, she would wear her Turk Elite dress uniform. There were a few exceptions, though, in sacred places and in case of accidental messes she would where her normal clothing.

Once she picked out her clothing for the day, she unbuttoned the top portion of her dress blues and let it fall to the ground. She started to remove the pants when she heard a loud, "Ahem!" She looked behind her and saw Vincent blushing again. "Yes?" she said slowly.

"You…you are not bashful are you?" he asked trying not to stare at her lithe frame. Leira looked up at the ceiling and rolled her eyes. "Fine." she said and stomped into the bathroom.

As soon as he heard water running, Vincent heaved a sigh. He figured that she must have spent a lot of time around the men of Shinra. "Reeve," he whispered to himself, "You must have had your hands full with that one."

After Vincent and Leira got in their bathing time, they headed over to the Highwind household where Yuffie was staying. Shera was out front. She waved them over excitedly. "Cid knows where Cloud's at!"

"Where?" prompted Leira.

"Where's Cid at, Shera?" asked Vincent.

"He's out back. He's got the Tiny Bronco going again."

"Not that again." Vincent said in horror as he hid his face in his hands.

"The Tiny who?" Leira asked in puzzlement.

Shera smiled at the two of them. She looked at Leira, "It's a small airplane. It's only a two seater, but that's okay. Last time it flew, it didn't need a pilot, anyway."

Vincent rolled his eyes and took Leira by the arm.

"What was that about?" the Turk asked.

Vincent heaved a sigh and guided her to the backyard of Cid's house.

"Yo, Turk lady!" exclaimed Yuffie as she ran out to greet Leira.

Vincent Valentine walked over to Cid, who was busy working on one of the wings. "I thought you said it would never fly again," he said hopefully.

"Aww come on, Vince. Anything can be fixed," the pilot said rubbing his brow.

Leira and Yuffie approached the two men. "Where's Cloud at?" Leira demanded. "Is he really back in Nibelheim like Sephiroth said?"

Cid nodded. "Yep. Sephiroth is there, too. Cloud called in on the PHS. It kind of looks to me like a frigging hostage situation."

"Is he okay?" asked Yuffie.

"He's fine." Cid spoke again.

"A hostage situation, you said. What could Sephiroth want?" This was making Leira angrier. What could this man possibly want? It just did not make sense.

"I think he's got a thing for you. He just asked for an opportunity to speak with you in exchange for Cloud," Cid evilly grinned.

Yuffie and Vincent looked at each other. This was indeed a surprise to everyone.

Cid smiled and took a long drag off his cigarette. "I figure that we'll do what we did the last time. I will pilot the plane this time around of course. We'll get two people to double up in back." he winked at Vincent. "Than I figure that'll leave the last one a wing seat. Yuffie that'll be you."

The little Ninja eyes widened in horror as he spoke. The last thing she wanted to do was to hang from the wings of an airplane.

"I think it would be best if I went alone." Leira stepped in. "Sephiroth wants me. He's using Cloud as an excuse to get to me. I want to know why."

Cid's face contorted as if he ate something sour. "Shit'n kids no respect," he murmured as he went back to working on the little airplane.

"I think it best we travel in numbers." Vincent folded his arms.

"Than we'll all get killed! Than what!? If the flight doesn't kill us I'm sure Sephiroth will." Leira said defiantly.

Sensing an intense argument Vincent shook his head. "If we're going to meet Lucrecia's son I'll have to dress appropriately." The ex-Turk turned and jumped over the fence that surrounded the backyard of Cid's house, and proceeded to the inn.

"Hmm." Cid thought. "It'll be good to get the old clothes out. That's a good idea he had."

"I doubt you'd be able to fit in yours." Yuffie said pointing at Cid's beer belly.

The old pilot picked up a wrench in his left hand and raised it above his head.

Leira began to wonder about what clothing had to do with anything. At this point, she did not care. "I'm going alone." She grabbed the wrench from Cid. "I'm a pilot and somewhat of a mechanic myself. I'll make the final repairs on the plane and take off alone. If you really think repairs are needed."

Cid clenched his fists and dropped them to his sides. "Uh, oh." Yuffie said as she backed away from the pair.

"Yuffie, let's go inside." Shera said grabbing the youth by an arm and dragging her inside. "I think this is going to get ugly."

Cid waited until Shera and Yuffie were out of sight. "Now listen here, Shinra tried to take the Highwind away from me, they took my rocket and my dreams from me, they tried to take the Tiny Bronco from me once before and now they're trying it again…"

"Not Shinra-me. Not a Turk or Elite, just me, Leira." she moved up to Cid so that her face was right in front of his. "I need that plane."

"You know what? You've got guts, getting in my face like that, lady. If you weren't a woman I'd knock your ass out."

Leira had heard this before from her fellow officers during her army days. Sooner or later, they all learned the hard way. She shot Cid a wide smile and kissed him on the lips. "You know what? I was hoping you'd say that."

Cid's eyes opened wide as he saw her fist flying towards his face. There was no way to dodge it. Her punch sailed through the air at a tremendous speed and hit its mark with such force that it knocked Cid Highwind back against the Tiny Bronco and than down to the ground.

Leira stood there for a second looking over Cid's unconscious body. "Hmpph." she sighed as she dusted off her hands.

"Oh, my." Leira tilted her head to the side.

"What did you...? You know he's going to be pissed when he comes to." Yuffie was beside herself. "If he comes to," she said.

"You put a little pepper into that one." Shera added as she made her way over to examine Cid.

Leira looked around quickly and climbed up one of the Tiny Bronco's sidesteps. She glanced at the controls in the tiny cockpit. "I can do this. It's just like a Gelnika." She whispered to herself.

Shera looked down at the still form of Cid and than up at the determined Leira. "Yuffie and I will take care of Cid. Go ahead and take the plane. The rest of us will catch up with you later."

Lieandra smiled as she climbed in and waved at Shera and Yuffie. Within seconds, she the plane was started and taxiing down the makeshift runway.

Vincent had heard the noise of the airplane and had decided to go investigate. The plane was almost upon him when he noticed who was in the cockpit. He shook his head and started running towards the plane. As soon as the Tiny Bronco was in range, he lunged for its landing gear, grabbing one of the wheels with his claw.

Leira had not noticed the stowaway until she was up off the ground.

"Cid's going to be pissed, you know." He yelled as he scaled his way over to her.

"I don't care."

He smiled to himself. "I know. Let's get Cloud."

The flight was bumpy because of turbulent air surrounding Nibelheim. Vincent marveled at the land stretched out before him. He could see the healthy green forests and tiny beaches. From his perch just outside the cockpit, he looked behind him and saw the town which three years ago was known as Shinra 26. Rocket Town moved farther and farther away from him. He knew he would see it again.

Leira eyed Vincent in a side mirror. She watched him looking back at Rocket Town. She noticed that he was dressed differently this time. He was wearing a black double-breasted suit with a blood red cloak that reminded her of the uniforms adorned by some of the assassin guilds in medieval times. It had little leather straps that held the neck of the cloak closed while holding the cloak securely to his black suit. She noticed that he had his hair held out of his eyes by a bandana that was the same color as his cloak. The claw was also back on his left arm.

Vincent, sensing an unshakeable feeling of distant eyes watching him, looked back at the pilot. Leira caught his gaze and looked towards the front again. The air started to get choppy as they neared the imposing range of mountains known as Mt. Nibel. The mountains were so dark and cold; it was hard for her to believe that Shinra had been so determined to build a Mako reactor on its top. It was hard for her to believe that that mountain was capable of producing any kind of energy.

"We're almost there." Vincent yelled. "Be careful. Conditions are going to get worse especially since we're being expected."

The closer the plane got to the mountains the more trouble Leira had controlling it. The plane bucked and shimmied so much Lieandra was scared it would rip apart in flight. "Maybe we should have driven over the mountains." She yelled at the ex-Turk.

This was just how he had remembered his last flight on the Tiny Bronco. He remembered when he was on it last; Shinra shot it down over the same ocean. It made him chuckle to himself at how similar that flight was to the one he was currently experiencing. "There it is. Bring her down on the outskirts. Hopefully we haven't been detected." Much to Vincent's surprise the plane began to shake uncontrollably. "Leira, we're too close to the mountains to be showboating!"

"It's not me! I can't control it anymore!" Leira tried to fight with the controls but it was no use. The plane started to roll end over end. There was a loud "POP" as the tail section began to smoke and eventually started spewing flames.

"Uhm, we've got a problem!" Vincent was quickly reminded of how little he enjoyed flying on the Tiny Bronco.

"Hang on!" Leira cursed herself once more for not driving. She climbed out of the cockpit and made her way over to Vincent. "I guess we're going down, huh."

The ex-Turk looked at her. He found it hard to believe how calm she sounded. It made him uneasy the way she was handling herself. "We might die here if we don't jump."

"I didn't see any parachutes in this thing. What do we do?"

Vincent shook his head and looked towards the ground racing below him. "When we're closer to the ground, jump."

"Uhm. We're over the water. I'm leaving now." Leira waved at Vincent and jumped off the plane, which was now a couple feet over the ocean. Vincent shook his head and looked back where Leira had once stood. It was hard for him to believe that the next generation of Turks had become that crazy. Vincent jumped off the plane just as it flames engulfed it.

Leira had hit the water first. She forgot to mention to Cid and Vincent that swimming was also one of her many skills. Just seconds after she surfaced Vincent plummeted in. She swam over to where he had hit to see if he was all right.

After a few seconds, Vincent finally surfaced and looked over at Leira. His waterlogged bandana hung loosely before his eyes. That wild black hair of his had become tame. Leira smiled at the pathetic sight in front of her. "I'm surprised that cloak of yours didn't act like a parachute." She prodded.

Valentine rolled his eyes and splashed her. "We'd better get to land and dry off."

"You can. I'm on a mission. I don't have time to waste." With that, she swam to land. Vincent had no choice but to join her. He was in no position to argue. His whole reason for being there was to help her out.

Once they reached the beach, Leira wrung her hair out and stared out at the tiny town of Nibelheim. "It's been a long time since I've been here. I was one of the Turks sent to survey the damage caused by the fire. I'm surprised that they decided to salvage it."

The dead man averted his eyes as Leira removed her shirt and squeezed the water out. "Sephiroth burned it to the ground after he found out that he was part of Hojo's Jenova Project."

"I wasn't sure of that at first." The Elite said as she replaced her shirt. "We were just told to give an estimate on how much it would cost to rebuild. We weren't told how the fire happened."

"Let's go. There are still monsters roaming around here." Vincent said at last.

The pair crossed the beach and made the hike over to the tiny town. Once inside Lieandra surveyed the area. She wandered around the buildings. Suddenly she had a feeling she was being watched. She looked back at Vincent. He was over by the front gate of the Shinra mansion. There was that sadness again. She decided that she would check back on him later. The feeling of eyes watching her made her uneasy. She followed her instincts and turned towards the area where the inn was located. As she made her way up to the inn, something in one of the second floor windows caught her eye. There in the window was a pale figure. Could it be Cloud or Sephiroth? She blinked and the figure had disappeared. Leira thought about yelling for Vincent but than again, Sephiroth wanted to see her alone. She heaved a sigh and entered the inn. There was no way she was going to back down and ask for help now. This was her fight.

"Can I help you?" asked an old man sitting behind a counter. "Maybe you'd like a nice room to dry off in?"

"No. Thank you. I would like to know if you have a guest here with long silver hair and blue green-eyes. When last seen he was dressed in a black outfit with a long coat. He also carried a long sword taller than himself."

The old man looked around the room nervously than looked back at her. "Sorry. I can't help you there."

"You're kidding right?! I was told that he was here in this town right now." She was beginning to get angry.

"I'm sorry miss, I can't help you. This is a quiet weirdo free town. Can I get you a room or not?"

"I saw someone upstairs. Who was it?"

"I am sorry. There isn't anyone here. We haven't gotten too many people here since Meteor took out Midgar."

The Turk Elite clenched her fists and headed towards the stairs determined to find out who was up there. The wood steps creaked as she made her way up. She wanted to laugh at the wet footprints she was leaving behind. She was sure that the other Turks would have had a good laugh at her too. During her initiation ceremony, when she was first accepted into the regular Turks, they had thrown her off the airstrip in Junon. They were all pretty drunk then. When she got back into the city she had looked the same as she did now, hair flat against her head, shirt so waterlogged it was heavy and transparent.

She rounded the corner in the reception and perceived a black object lying on a windowsill. She approached the object and looked out the window. The figure had peered through the same window. The black object was a long coat. She lifted it up and found white shoulder guards under it. "Wow!" she whispered as she saw little materia gems embedded in them.

"Do you like them? I have more with the rest of my armor."

Leira flung her head back and turned around quickly. There in front of her was the man she was sent to find.

Sephiroth stood before her shirtless. He wore a pair of black pants and was barefoot. His thigh length hair hung over his shoulders with his long bangs hanging over his face like fangs. Those aquamarine eyes seemed to burn a hole through her soul. Sephiroth's arms crossed in front of him just underneath his strong hairless chest. Leira glanced down at the materia before putting the coat and shoulder guards down. "Sephiroth."

His lips curled into a sneer. "Miss Lieandra Thompson, Turk Elite."

She stepped back. She did not know Sephiroth. How could he possibly know her?

The look of puzzlement on her face seemed to bother him. He stepped towards her and outstretched his right hand to touch her cheek. She closed her eyes as his bare skin made contact with her face. When she opened her eyes, again she was staring into those cold Mako enhanced eyes.

"You don't remember me do you?" The disappointment in his voice took her by surprise. She stepped back again, her eyes never leaving him. "Why should I remember you? We've never met before."

Sephiroth's eyes narrowed. A scowl washed over his handsome features. "What have those Shinra bastards done to you? I'm sure my 'death' wasn't traumatic enough to make you forget me."

None of this was making sense to her. When the plane went down the gear that she had decided to bring with her went with it. She was regretting not having called Vincent for help. She swallowed her pride. "Where's Cloud?" she asked as she began to regain some of her composure.

Sephiroth smiled. "What is he to you?"

"Where is he? Tell me." She insisted.

"You're friend will find him. You'll see him again." Sephiroth turned his back to her and walked towards his room.

Leira clenched her fists and made a run for him. He spun around in shock and raised a hand at her. He had planned to use a restraining magic to stop her. Leira ignored his raised hand and grabbed him by the throat taking them both to the ground. From her position on top of him, she bounced his head off the floor. "You're going to tell me where he is. You're going to tell me now."

The Great Sephiroth puzzled over the position he was in. Awed by the fact his powers did not stop her. He could not believe that all he did was wave at her. Could his powers have diminished that much? No. There was something more to this.

The Turk Elite had bounced his head off the floor a couple more times until his blood began to flow freely from his nose. When she noticed his perplexed look, she stopped and stared down at him.

"How could this be?" he whispered to no one in particular. He looked up at the ceiling of the inn as he pondered these strange events.

"Anything's possible." She said. She had no idea what he was scared of but she was not too concerned. She had Sephiroth on the ground. He could not be as strong as the Shinra organization had feared.

Sephiroth focused his attention back on the Turk. He shot an arm out and grabbed her by the throat. An evil smile crossed his lips as he watched fear wash over her face. He flung her off him and into the wall by the stairs.

She must have flown at least seven feet before she hit the wall. She swore that she heard her bones crack as she hit.

The former general of the Shinra army was now in control. He got up off the ground and positioned himself over Leira. He put his face to hers. "Clearly, there have been more changes since I've been away." He suddenly looked up and put a hand over Leira's mouth. "Shh." He whispered.

Leira eyes shifted to see the area of his concern.

"Your friend has come to play, too."

A voice traveled through the floorboards of the first floor. "I saw a woman enter this building earlier is she still here?"

"Vincent." She whispered.

"Yes." Sephiroth said flatly.

"Yep. The pretty lady was soaking wet, kind of like you. I told her that there was a room upstairs for her where she could dry off… She hasn't come back down yet." The voice of the innkeeper echoed from the floor below.

"I would suspect company will be arriving shortly," said Sephiroth as he hefted Leira over his shoulder. "It's best we prepare ourselves." Sephiroth carried her into his room and closed the door behind him.

"Thank you." Vincent turned from the innkeeper slowly making his way up the stairs. He noticed that there was water stains on the steps. They had to be Leira's footprints. As soon as he reached the top step, he slowly rounded the corner. He noticed each door closed. He carefully approached the first door and opened it. "Nothing." He murmured. Vincent hated games but it looked to him like he was going to have to play one. There were still two other doors that were closed. He really did not want to have to open both of them.

"Vincent!" a woman shrieked from the second door.

He ran over to the door. "Leira!" he yelled back.

There was a bright flash of light as Vincent kicked the door open. A ball of lightning hit him in the chest and sent him flying into a windowsill. Vincent coughed after he hit. Dazed, he looked over his singed clothing. He looked at the doorway where the bolt originated. He saw Sephiroth coming out of the room towards him. From where he lay, he could see Lieandra behind him.

"So we meet again." Sephiroth leered hovering over Vincent. "I thought it was made clear that she was to come alone. Oh, well." He sighed and raised his left hand slowly into the air. With the movement of his hand, Vincent lifted off the ground. "I can see that I still have some power left."

"Stop!" yelled Leira as she grabbed Sephiroth from behind.

Stunned he dropped Vincent to the ground. Vincent hit hard but it was not enough to knock him out. He had strength enough to play his hand. Vincent closed his eyes in concentration as a white ball of light surrounded him.

Shocked, Leira and Sephiroth were blinded by Vincent's transformation.

In an agonizing display, Vincent's slender body contorted sprouting wings and a tail. Muscles bulged from everywhere as his whole body began to turn gray.

Once the transformation ended, a winged creature stood before them. It was like nothing Leira had ever witnessed before in her thirty-four years of life. Could it be some kind of limit break, she wondered.

"Temper, temper, Mr. Valentine." Sephiroth poked as he began to work Leira off him.

"Let her go." The creature that once was Vincent Valentine spoke in a hollow almost incoherent voice. It sounded like thousands of people screaming in pain all at once.

Sephiroth cast Leira to the side and started to raise his hand again. Leira could not believe that he was this fearless. She got up and ran over to Vincent as another lightning bolt surged its way towards him. Once she neared the path of the bolt, she was instantly struck. The creature had tried to push her out of the way but it was too late. Even Sephiroth showed some concern. He put his hand down and slowly made his way over to Leira.

Lieandra dropped to the ground nearly unconscious. Vincent was not about to waste any time. He grabbed her by the waist and took flight. The only means of escape that he could think of was out the window. He smashed through the window of the inn and flew her to the front of the Shinra mansion. Once on the ground he transformed back to his human form. He laid her down and started to check for any wounds.

"What happened?" her voice came in heavy gasps. "What happened cough, cough to you back there?"

"Shh." He said as he looked at her. "I'll tell you once we're back in Rocket Town. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. What about Cloud?"

"I haven't found him yet." Vincent said wearily. That transformation had taken a lot out of him. He did not knock it though, just as his other ones they left him completely healed. He reached a hand out to her. "Do you think you can make it?"

Leira took his hand and got to her feet. "Let's find Cloud!"

She pushed by him and strode over to the mansion. "What do you think the chances of him being in there are?"

"I didn't get to look in the mansion yet. I'd say the chances of him being down there are pretty good."

Leira went in first. If there were any surprises in store for them, she wanted a piece of the action too. Vincent followed close behind her. Surprisingly the mansion was deserted. There was no furniture and the scorch marks that it once sported so many years ago were gone. "Usually you get attacked as soon as you walk in the door. What up with that?"

"You're disappointed?" Vincent asked as a smile began to grow on his face.

Leira grimaced at him. They moved up the first flight of stairs leading to the second level. It looked like there was some rebuilding going on. The walls had a new coat of paint on them. The stairs gave the appearance of fresh wood grain. When they reached the top, they took a right and entered one of the side bedrooms.

"There's supposed to be a secret room in here." They said in unison. Leira put her hands behind her head and smiled.

Vincent, in astonishment, stepped away from her. "You knew it was here? What else do you know?"

"I stumbled on it when we were doing the damage report."

Vincent eyed her inquisitively. "Did you enter any of the rooms down there?"

Leira shrugged her shoulders at him. "Not that I can remember. We just guessed on what could be down there and let it be…Hojo's orders"

The Elite walked over to a silo shaped stonewall and pushed on a block. The wall did not budge. She tried pounding on it. It still did not slide open.

"What's wrong?" Vincent asked as Leira heaved a sigh.

"The door's stuck. You don't have a jack hammer or maybe sticks of dynamite do you?"

"No." he said with a smile. "I've got something better. Stand back."

Leira shot him a questioning glance as she watched him pull up one of his sleeves. She immediately took notice of a strange looking bracelet decorated with at least six tiny materia gems and listened as he softly chanted.

One of the gems emitted a soft green glow and the wall was encased in ice. The beginning stage of ice materia, its weakest form she noted.

Vincent approached the wall and pulled back his claw. He breathed in the air and slammed his golden left arm into the wall of ice shattering it into thousands of tiny pieces.

"Nice touch." She said as her eyes bulged.

"Thank you." Vincent looked down the winding staircase. "Ladies first."

The Elite looked down into the darkness. This was her first time going down here. Ever since the Nibelheim disaster, she heard strange stories about some of the goings on in the Shinra mansion. Tales about secret experiments and the creation of monsters by Hojo himself began to pop into her head. She breathed in deep as she began to enter the stairwell. She suddenly felt uncomfortable about having the dead man behind her.

Upon reaching the bottom, Vincent looked around at the cave like layout of the basement. "This hasn't changed." He whispered.

"Old home week, huh." Leira cackled softly.

Without warning, the place was overflowing with bats. Vincent reached into his cloak and pulled out a handgun. He started to pick them off left and right but there were too many. The ex-Turk grabbed her by the wrist, pulled her into a side chamber, and slammed the door behind them.

Leira looked around and noticed that there were coffins lining the room. "Great now we're in the Ghost Hotel."

"No. See that coffin over there." He pointed over to a large coffin in the center of the room. "That's where I'd been sleeping, atoning for my sins. That's where Cloud and the others found me."

The Elite walked over to the coffin while Vincent reloaded his pistol. She looked at the coffin and tried to imagine what it was like spending almost thirty years in a tiny little box. The thought sent chills down her spine. "At least it's probably got a satin lining." She muttered. Gently she began to push the heavy lid aside.

CRASH

"OH MY GAWD!" she shrieked and fell backwards onto the ground. She had not expected to see a body inside it.

Vincent put the gun back in his cloak and ran to her side. "Looks like we found Cloud."

Leira crawled over to the edge of the coffin. Sure enough, Cloud was inside the coffin with his arms crossed over his chest. She took one of his gloved hands and felt for a pulse. "He's alive."

Vincent came around the other side and helped her lift him. They then laid him on the ground.

"Uhhn." Cloud moaned. The spiky haired boy blinked as his eyes began to adjust to the weak lighting. "Where…Sephiroth?"

Leira wrapped her arms around him. "It's okay…it's okay."

Cloud Strife reached up to return her embrace. "Mom."

Vincent stood at Leira's side and watched her hold him. Is this what he would have experienced if he had been able to be with Lucrecia after the birth of Sephiroth?

"He's in no shape to make it out of here, Vincent." Leira said flatly. "I don't have any weapons either."

"I'll be fine." Cloud said as he started to get back on his feet. "We'll make it out of here." It was a painstaking process but he managed to stand without help. He looked at the two and forced a smile. "I think you guys would be cute together."

Leira blushed and shook her head while Vincent rolled his eyes. The Elite walked over to the door and opened it slightly to look out into the hallway.

"Did Sephiroth say anything to you?" asked Vincent.

"Not really. He just muttered something about returning to the planet for some kind of weapon."

"Returning to the planet?" Vincent did not have time to ponder what Cloud said. Leira slammed the door shut and ran over to them. "I hate to ruin the party but we've got company."

The door was suddenly blasted open revealing Sephiroth. "Need I point out that he does not seem happy?" Leira pointed out.

Sephiroth entered the room and stopped as he passed the doorway. His long black coat fluttered behind him. He folded his arms as he surveyed the threesome. "I see you won your prize. Congratulations."

Cloud staggered forward followed closely by Vincent. "What do you want with her?" asked Cloud.

Leira grabbed Cloud by the wrist and pulled him behind her just as Sephiroth began to raise his hand. He stopped and looked at the drying Turk. "I suppose you want to leave now." His head hung low allowing his silver bangs to cover his face. There was almost a sorrow in his voice.

Leira stepped up to him. She eyed him curiously. "What is it you want with me, general?"

A strange smile crossed the face of her former general. "I see you remember at least that much. There will come a time when it will be just the two of us. Then all will be revealed." He held out his right arm and pointed to the hole in the wall that used to be the door.

Leira looked him over again and walked out the door. "Come on." She motioned to Vincent and Cloud.

Cloud looked behind at Vincent who seemed to be covering them. He watched as Vincent's eyes continually scanned the area. He had to admit, the whole idea of Sephiroth letting them all go seemed a little strange.

The spiraling wooden staircase was far from easy for Cloud to climb but he managed. He was hurt and needed to get out of that area. "Do we know how we're going to get out of here?"

Vincent shook his head. "You might want to ask your 'mother.'"

Cloud was puzzled.

Leira tried her hardest to find the right words. "I kind of punched out Cid and stole the Tiny Bronco. On our way here it had…technical difficulties."

Cloud fell silent. He prayed for Sephiroth to let them escape.


	6. Escape From The Dark Mansion

They finally made it to the top of the steps and out of the mansion. A large metallic aircraft was coming towards them. It was the Highwind. The sound of the huge propeller driven engines was music to Vincent's undead ears.

A metal basket was lowered for the three to climb into. Four sturdy cables attached it to the side of the mighty airship.

Cid had the feeling that Cloud would not be in the best of shape. His original plan was to toss down a rope but he remembered how battered the kid was right before Sephiroth snatched him away.

Leira checked out the basket and helped the ex-SOLDIER inside. It was big enough for Leira to sit him down. She knelt down and leaned the blonde haired boy against her. Vincent was the last to enter. "I think we're home free." He said as he gave Leira the thumbs up.

The basket began to lift off the ground. It was an uneasy escape. Leira wondered what Sephiroth's motive for kidnapping Cloud was. The ex-Turk himself was not entirely sure either.

The basket was a few feet from the observation deck of the Highwind, when a figure clad in black appeared outside the Shinra Mansion. Vincent and Leira focused on Cid and Yuffie running over to the deck to speed up their rescue. They were almost within shouting distance.

"What are they doing?" The Elite asked suddenly.

Vincent turned his attention from their rescuers and eyed her slowly. "What do you mean?" He looked up again to see the old captain and young ninja flailing their arms.

"Do you think they're trying to warn us about something?" Cloud reached up, grabbed one of the support railings, and pulled himself to his feet. He was frozen in horror. Leira and Vincent looked over the side. Their friends were trying to warn them about Sephiroth.

The ex-general glared evilly at them.

"What are the chances of him attacking us?" Leira asked.

A fireball flew past the basket, missing it by inches.

"I'd say pretty good." Vincent shouted as he pushed the others down and reached for his pistol.

"That was an awful quick change of heart." Leira grimaced as she held the wounded boy to her body.

More fireballs were launched from Sephiroth's hands. Several of them hit the Highwind.

"He's hurting my baby!" Cid shouted.

Yuffie was trying to turn the crank that controlled the winding of the cables. She rolled her eyes. "Cap'n, I kinda need your help over here or those guys are gonna get toasted!"

"Oh, god! Vince! I forgot about them!" Cid yelped and helped her pull them up.

"Bring her back here! Bring her back!" Sephiroth bellowed.

"Why is he not flying?" wondered Vincent. "I know he is capable of flight…" Vincent cradled his weapon to his chest.

"What's wrong with Vincent?" asked Cloud as he looked at the ex-Turk

Leira was wondering herself.

When the basket reached, the top Vincent hopped out first. He climbed over the railing and helped Yuffie pull out Cloud. The fireballs missed them several times. The heat was almost unbearable as they worked. Black scorch marks formed with each hit. Vincent pulled Cloud onto his back and ran him inside the ship. Yuffie stayed behind to watch Cid help Leira aboard.

"Y'know, for punchin' me back there, I should just push ya back an let him have ya." Cid gave a slight nod to Sephiroth's position on the ground below them.

"You won't." She smirked. "You don't want to piss off your friend now, do you?"

Cid stuck out a hand and pulled her up. He knew that she had him cold. "Yer a mean one ain't ya. Real cold…kinda like the kid…can almost see where Cloud gets his winning personality."

Leira put her leg up over the railing to get on the inside of the deck. She wanted to try and help Cid lift the basket back onto the deck when another bolt struck the huge airship. The fireball landed just underneath the basket and blew it back onto the ship. Cid was knocked across the bridge and landed on his back. Leira was not as lucky. The force of the pounding shook her off her perch. No matter how strongly she had tried to grip the bars, it was not enough. The ground was beginning its rush to meet her.

"Whoa, now! I can't let you fall now! What will your uncle think?"

A giant pink hand had saved Leira. She followed the arm of her savior to reveal a cat sitting on the shoulders of a large pink mog. "Cait Sith?" the last time Leira had seen this strange creation was when she was ordered to meet the toysaurus spy at the Golden Saucer. At the time, Cait Sith was a spy for the Shinra army. He was given artificial intelligence so he could act on his own. Another time Leira had seen this creature was at one of her childhood birthday parties thrown by..."Reeve, are you there?"

A voice crackled from a microphone hidden under the giant mog's nose. "Hi, Leira honey. It's me, Uncle Reeve."

Sephiroth stopped his onslaught, smiled, and turned back to the foreboding mansion. No one onboard saw a figure draped in a strange robe follow the general inside.

The mog and cat team pulled her up to the deck of the Highwind. "What is going on, here?" she asked.

"Cait Sith helped with the first mission to bring down Sephiroth and his knowledge of the Highwind's inner workings makes him invaluable to its crew. Plus, I can keep tabs on you too. I knew what Tseng had assigned you to do and by the time I got a chance to voice my concerns you had already left."

"It's my mission and it will be carried out," she said flatly.

"You're stubborn just like your mother was." Reeve's voice sighed. "Cid is going to be flying all of you over to me. Once we're all here, I need to explain something to you, Leira, in private. What I say you might not want to hear but I've been sitting on it for a long time. It needs to be said."

A look of shock ran over Leira's face. 'What could this be about?' she wondered. Reeve had a touch of sadness to his voice. She had never heard him this upset before.

"Wow, that was different," said Cait Sith. The little black cat looked over at Lieandra who was now deep in thought. "You think he's still upset about the calendar?"

Leira looked up at the cat and scowled. She turned around and started to head below deck.

Once below, Leira hunted Cid down. She found him at the bridge of the newly rebuilt airship. "Where are we heading?" she asked as she approached him.

Cid straightened up and looked at her. "Reeve told me to meet him over at his villa in Costa del Sol. He said that it's important that we meet him."

"Did he say what this was regarding?"

"No."

Leira scratched her head. "We're not too far away right?"

Cid smiled at her. "No, there it is."


	7. The Truth At Last

"You know…Cid …" The Elite began to unbutton her blouse. The elder pilot could not help but watch her hands.

"Yeah." He said slowly as he tried to pry his eyes away.

"Where did you have the old girl parked? That was a hell of a quick rescue."

The old pilot turned his attention to the six-man team controlling the aircraft. "Vince told you that we were rebuilding it right?"

"I didn't think you had her that close to town?"

Cid wanted to smack her forehead but he let it blow passed him. "We had it on the outskirts of town…what was left of her…" He dug his chin into his collarbone. "We were so close to Meteor when Holy was crawling along the land. The crew was scared about what would happen…I was kinda scared too."

Leira tried to think back to the events that happened after her assignment to find Sephiroth.

"There was one bright green explosion and the ship was swatted away. Next thing I know, we're grounded right outside Rocket Town. The kid kept sayin' somethin' about Aeris lookin' out for us." He looked up at the ceiling and than down at his feet.

The Elite felt awkward during this conversation so she put a hand on Cid's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him and take her mind off the bitter past.

"I dunno, maybe she was keepin' an eye on us," He started again. "…Anyway, we ended up back home. My Bikini Goddess was almost in pieces! She was a couple miles from the mountains. We kept her there while we looked around every scrap metal site we could think of."

Leira wrapped her arms around him. "Thanks for saving us."

The captain of the Highwind began to feel warm. He tried to fight this feeling as best as he could.

"Sir, we're in range," said one of the crew.

The Turk dropped her arms and watched the airship's approach through its large bridge window. She could see the landmarks that made up the small vacation resort clearly.

The Highwind touched down just outside of the town. Every one of the crewmembers was looking forward to their short vacation. Vincent decided to stay on board with Cloud and Yuffie. As much as Valentine protested, Kisaragi swore that she felt safer being beside him rather than going out onto the sunny beaches.

The place Reeve lived was none other than the former Shinra villa where Leira had spent her early Elite days. Reeve had always planned to retire from Shinra and start a pleasant life for himself far away from all the blackmail and murder. He wanted to live with the people that he fought so hard to protect. It resembled a mini fortress to the tourists passing by, the way it across the beach.

Leira exited the ship and took her Shinra issue shoes off. She walked to her uncle's villa with her footwear suspended over her shoulder. It had been two years since she had been able to see her only surviving family member without her casts. She knocked on the tan sun dried door and wondered what his reaction would be. The last time either of them had met with each other was from a hospital room in Junon. Leira was forced into many months of bed rest after Meteor made it's semi-touchdown. Her uncle visited her often during her hospitalization after the chaos.

"I'm coming," groaned a man from inside.

The Turk took a deep breath. She was still wearing her air-dried clothes and her long hair had become tangled.

The door opened slowly. "Can I help…wha…?" The man that answered was a couple inches taller than she was. He was rather attractive looking in his dark blue business suit. He had a pleasant face to go along with his pleasant voice and his dark hair tightly combed hair. His small mustache had an even trim, which accented his lips just so.

Leira was amused by the drop of the man's jaw as he studied her. "What happened to your goatee, unc?" She put her left elbow to the doorframe and leaned her curvaceous figure against it.

Reeve looked her up and down. He was surprised to see the attractive woman before him. He could not believe that this same woman had been a part of his company's most ruthless secret service. "Lieandra?!" The President flung his arms around her and held her close. Tears had begun to form in his eyes. "It's so good to see you!"

"Still the sharp dresser, I see." She muttered as she pressed her face into his shoulder, while returning his embrace.

"Come on inside," said Reeve as he swept at a tear.

Leira looked around and whistled. "I can't believe Cloud sold this place to you. It still looks mighty sweet."

Reeve looked at her quizzically. "How did you know that Cloud sold it to me?"

Leira grinned. "I did serve as a bookkeeper during that whole death of President Shinra ordeal…I'm a Turk, Reeve. Rufus didn't care who he sold it to, as long they had money." She lightly bopped him on the head with a closed fist.

Reeve shook his head. "That kid. No matter how hard he tried to avoid it, he still ended up like his father."

Leira crossed her arms. She tried not to let her uncle's comments bother her. "You wanted to see me?"

Her uncle was very much anti-Shinra. Even while they employed him, he still disagreed with the methods of the organization. "You never told me about Tseng wanting you to run after Sephiroth." As much as he tried, Reeve could not avoid the subject at hand.

Suddenly, the Elite found herself gazing at her bare feet. She wiggled her toes than looked back at Reeve. "I didn't tell you because I know how much you hate Tseng…even after his death."

She still thought Tseng to be the only reason for his unhappiness and concern. Despite his outward appearance, the new President smiled.

Cid Highwind approached the house. After spending a few minutes at the tavern connected to the President's residence, he remembered what he was doing in the resort town of Costa del Sol in the first place. The grizzled pilot rapped softly on the open door. "Hey, anyone there?!"

Reeve was the first to notice the intrusion. "Hey, Cid! We're on our way!"

As soon as the old pilot was out of sight, Reeve and Leira headed out of the villa. Her uncle held onto her wrist as tight as possible for fear that the slightest misstep would pull them apart again.

Once aboard the airship, Reeve sought out a solitary deck in which he could talk to his niece. He did not care if the rest of the people onboard the Highwind knew his goals or not as long as she heard everything first.

Reeve looked at Leira. "Lieandra, what I have to tell you may surprise you. It might hurt you too. When I first found out you were seeing Reno, I had to let him know too...for his own safety."

Her green eyes widened at his words. "I thought you didn't want anything to do with him. What could you possibly have told him?"

Reeve looked down at the floor. "Sephiroth, he was the young general that led your parents into battle against Wutai. He was also your childhood friend."

"Why don't I remember any of this?"

"He was also the one that informed us of your parents' deaths. Someone else would have been assigned to tell us but with him being a general, and a war hero, he chose to inform us himself." He paused slightly to let this new information sink in. "Your parents would take you over to Midgar during their briefings and the two of you would play together, when you were little. He was a few years older than you but they had hoped that you two would grow up to be quite the couple."

"Sephiroth knows me? My parents didn't even tell me. I'm not even sure what you're trying to tell me, Reeve." Leira placed her head between her clenched fists. She knew her memory was grossly insignificant, how could it have been that distorted.

"Your memory might be a little patchy in some places."

__

Ya think?! She had wanted to scream.

"You were watched every time. It was obvious in that little boy's eyes that he thought the world of you. So, I'm sure he told his father about you." It looked like Reeve was about to cry. "Your parents weren't just any other officers..." his voice trailed away.

Confusion began to set in. Leira's mind was a whirlwind of thought. She got up from her chair and grabbed her uncle by the throat pinning him to the hull of the Highwind. "What is it that you're getting at?"

"You've got your father's strength." Reeve was gasping for air.

Leira leaned in closer so they were eye to eye.

"What's going on? I heard a noise. Is everything okay?" Cloud had heard the sound of Reeve's body crashing against the wall from his location across the hall. The sight that greeted him made him freeze in his tracks. The ex-SOLDIER briefly looked back in the hallway, to make sure that nobody else was behind him. After the coast was clear, he walked into the room and shut the door behind him. "This isn't just an ordinary briefing is it?" he asked shrugging his shoulders.

"My loving uncle was just going to let me in on a long kept family secret. Weren't you, Reeve?" her eyes never wavered from her uncle.

"Leira, he's turning blue!" said Cloud.

Leira turned her attention to Cloud and dropped Reeve. She stood over him with her arms at her sides. Her brown wavy hair had fallen over her shoulders. The new president crashed to the ground and grabbed his throat, gasping for air. Cloud started to approach Leira but Reeve waved him off. "No. Cloud, I'm fine," he coughed a little then clenched his throat in his hands, "this was the reaction that I knew I'd get. It's my fault."

Cloud walked over and sat on a nearby crate. "I'll stand guard while you two settle your differences."

Reeve knew that it was time to continue his tale, air or no. "Leira, your parents were part of SOLDIER. They were infused with Mako. Your strength and reflexes came from them. You've never been an ordinary girl. You've got Mako running through your veins too. You may not have been in SOLDIER directly but you're like Cloud. You share the same abilities. Yours came from your mother and father."

Leira's stare hardened. "Go on." she barked.

"Hojo was surprised by your abilities. Even as a child, those traits were apparent. There were times that you and Sephiroth would argue and end up fighting. You would go toe to toe with him...Punch for punch." Reeve gave a slight chuckle at the thought. "I remember your parents and Hojo running out to where you guys were fighting and breaking you up. Reann and Tres would haul you out kicking and screaming. They would always apologize to Sephiroth's father for your behavior."

Leira shot Cloud a glance. "Do you know anything about this?"

Cloud swallowed hard. He was unsure of Leira's past. When she had taken him under her wing, she never really talked about her past. He did know something about Sephiroth and Hojo though. "Leira, Hojo was Sephiroth's biological father. He had also incorporated Professor Gast's Jenova experiment into SOLDIER."

"In a way you and Sephiroth and Cloud were all part of the Jenova experiment. The three of you, while still looking human, have increased knowledge of military techniques, almost superhuman strength and cat-like reflexes. Unfortunately, in all your cases, a lot of your long-term memory is absent. The past, usually centered on your childhood, can be extremely hard to recall."

Leira dropped to her knees in front of Reeve. "Why did you just let me go on without ever telling me? Why did you let me forget all this?"

Cloud walked over to Leira and put his hands on her shoulders to try to comfort her.

"Hojo had plans for you. Out of all the children whose parents had passed on the Mako legacy, Hojo was most impressed with you. It was because he thought you and Sephiroth were so much alike. In his own twisted way he wanted the two of you to remain together." Reeve continued. "Your parents were unaware of this. I had no idea what would happen while you were with Hojo, until after your parents died."

This was almost too much for Cloud to take.

"You and Sephiroth spent a lot of time growing up together he couldn't help but love you. It was because of your feelings for him that made you want to join the army."

"What happened after her parents died?" Cloud asked.

Reeve managed to get up and walk over to the wall that Leira had pinned him to earlier. "She was kidnapped a few weeks later when I was called away on business. Hojo had sent the Turks out to grab you and take you to his laboratory in Midgar."

Cloud looked at Lieandra he knew that all of this was too much for her to take. He was sure that what he was hearing was too much even for him. He wondered what she must have been thinking at this point. He remembered Sephiroth's reaction to finding out about his past and realized that his own recollection was no different. He knelt on the floor beside her and wrapped his arms around her. The remembrance of utter humiliation preyed heavily on his well-being.

"Once in his hands, you became a guinea pig. He put you through a series of tests to see how you would measure up with Sephiroth." Reeve said.

"Are you trying to say that Hojo was trying to mate her with Sephiroth?" Cloud's jaw dropped. He pulled her in closer.

Reeve nodded his head slowly. "Hojo wanted to see if he could try to recreate what he had done with his own wife and child. He figured that the offspring from Leira and Sephiroth would become more than just a super-SOLDIER. He was trying for a god."

"I'm going to take her back to her quarters, Reeve. If there's anymore, which I'm sure there is, we'll hear it later." Cloud helped Leira to her feet and they walked slowly out the door.

Reeve covered his face with his hands. There was more to the story and he knew he would have to tell all of it to her.

Cloud escorted Leira to the living quarters. He ended up having her lean against his shoulder as they walked for Leira's knees had begun to give out. When he asked her about how she was feeling, her only reply was that she was tired. At first Cloud believed that it was just stress but as soon as they entered the quarters, Leira looked up at him.

"Cloud, I don't feel so hot." With those words, she fell to the floor.

In a panic Cloud ran over to the intercom and pressed the alert button for the bridge.

"Sir, we've got a problem in the below deck," said the navigator in a dulcet.

Cid dropped his cigarette and ran over to look at his panel. "I guess you're right. I'm heading below." In a flash, Captain Highwind rushed to the personnel deck. In a couple minutes, he was at Cloud's side. "What the hell did you do, SOLDIER boy?!" He and Cloud bent down to try and lift her off the ground.

Cloud looked into his face. "I…I, didn't do anything. She just passed out."

"Shit!" Cid muttered. "We don't have a doctor on the ship we need to get her to one fast."

"What happened?" Reeve heard the commotion and went to see what was going on. The sight that welcomed him dropped him like a rock. There in front of him was Cid Highwind and Cloud Strife with Leira's arms draped over their shoulders. Her skin was pallid and tiny purple bruises had begun to form underneath her eyes. Reeve outstretched his arms. The thought of loosing his only surviving relative was making him nauseas. "What happened to her?"

"We don't know, Reeve, we were going to ask you." Cloud yelled.

"That's enough, kid." Cid shouted breaking up a possible confrontation. "We've got to take her to a doctor. Reeve, you help Cloud hold her I'm going to take us to Mideel."

Reeve was puzzled. "Mideel, what's out there? One of those damn weapons brought the whole town down years ago! There still isn't anything out there!"

Cloud looked at him in disgust. "Reeve, there's a doctor out there. He helped me out, I'm sure he can do something for Leira."

"You two find a crate and lay her down. I'll have the nav guys set a path for Mideel. I'll also try to keep the others away until we know what's going on." Cid turned on his heels and ran out the door.

"What did you do?" Cloud asked as he and Reeve laid her down.

"I didn't do anything to her." Reeve was reduced to tears. He knelt down next to Leira's lifeless form and wrapped his arms around her. "I didn't do anything."

Up on the bridge chaos had ensued. "What the hell is going on?" cursed Vincent.

"Yeah, what up with that?" put in Yuffie.

"Uhmmm. Cid, this isn't the way to Nibelheim," replied a bewildered Cait Sith.

"We ain't looking for Sephiroth right now. We've got a problem below decks."

"What?" everyone blurted in unison.

Vincent looked around. "Where the hell are Cloud, Reeve and Leira?"

Cid looked at Vincent and adjusted the goggles on his head. He smiled stupidly. "That's the problem we're having below decks."

The ex-Turk's fists tightened. "What happened?" he asked angrily.

Cid turned around, faced the group and cleared his throat. "No one knows. When I got there, the chick was passed out and Cloud was looking after her. She just dropped out."

"What did he do?" Vincent was on fire now. He did not know her enough yet. He wanted to know her more each passing day. Now that he found something that he cared for it was being ripped from him yet again.

"Ease up, loverboy." Yuffie yelped as she grabbed Vincent by his claw. "You know as much as we do that he'd never hurt her. Cloud loves that woman too much to harm her."

Vincent growled and wrenched his claw out of Yuffie's grip. His head sunk as he pondered her words. He sighed and started to head out the door.

Yuffie ran ahead of him. "You can't go down there now, we need you up here."

Cid put his hands behind his head. "The kid's right. It's a family thing going on down there now. It's best we just let Cloud and Reeve handle her for now. We're heading to Mideel to see the good doctor."

The Highwind passed over forests, oceans, and islands as it traveled through the air. Vincent needed to get some fresh air so he headed to the observation deck. He watched the world fly by. Memories of the past flooded his thoughts as he stared out over the railing. Yuffie wanted to escort him but he quickly reminded her that she was the last person he wanted to be alone with.

The sun started to go down. From where he stood on the deck, he could see the Nibel area and its mountainside waterfall. He could see the cave where he last saw his first love, Lucrecia. If he still had the ability, he would have cried at his memory of her. It was hard for him to believe that a man that was half monster would still have human feelings from time to time. He was half monster, after all, and was able to have feelings for a woman that he hardly knew. At times like this, he began to ponder what motivated Hojo to make him into the creature he was.

"Vincent."

Valentine turned around to look behind. Cid Highwind stood in front of him with a concerned look on his face. "Vince, she'll be okay. She's still out but those docs in Mideel are miracle workers. They'll fix what's wrong…"

"We're almost there." Vincent said slowly. "Are Reeve and Cloud still with her?"

"Cloud's a good kid. He and Reeve were just as disturbed by her passing out as you. They're family, I told ya."

Vincent turned back toward the railing. He hoped that things would work out well. He understood how much she meant to everyone.

Cid walked up to him. He hated to see Vincent depressed. After heaving a heavy sigh, Cid wrapped his arms around Vincent. Together they stared out as the sun began to set.

"Sir." The voice of one of the Highwind's six-man crew came over the intercom. "We're on final approach now."

"Be down in a sec." Cid said slowly as he rubbed Vincent's shoulders. "You gonna be okay, kid?"

Vincent nodded. Cid looked back and gave him thumbs up as he went back down to the bridge.

As the Highwind underwent landing procedures, Cid cursed the ground of Mideel. Because it was pretty, much jungle the monster table was always high. The massive airship had to land a few miles out from Mideel because of the huge trees. Cid would have given anything for a tractor or a flamethrower. It was going to be hell to haul a lifeless body through that mess. To Cid, it might as well be him, Yuffie and Cait Sith walking through the jungle alone. He figured that Reeve was not a fighter and Cloud, one of the best fighters the old pilot had seen, would be too busy helping Reeve carry Leira. Vincent obviously was not in top form emotionally to carry on a good fight in case of monster attacks.

The group exited the airship and began to slash through the jungles of the tiny island. Reeve was terrified to be trudging through this territory. He had never been there before and had even less experience in dealing with monsters. He looked down at his niece's face buried in his shoulder. It was hard for him to believe that this girl was as tough, if not tougher than she looked. She was the daughter of his sister and brother in law, both top SOLDIERS. Reeve held Leira's head closer to his shoulder. Over the years, she had become a daughter to him. He loved this girl and to know that he might be losing the last member of his family saddened him. The child in his arms, he believed, would have a much bigger role to play in life. Reeve knew that genetically she was destined for greater things as well

Behind Reeve, Cloud acted as a bodyguard. The young ex-SOLDIER held his buster sword over his shoulder ready for an impending attack. From time to time, he would glance over to the new President, carrying the body of his niece. It was upsetting to Cloud that this was how things were supposed to go. The Turk woman was very special to him. He had lost a friend in Zack and a possible lover in Aeris. Leira was a mother figure to him and, during his early days in SOLDIER, she was one of his best friends.

It made him smile when he remembered the times that Zack and Leira would fight and argue with each other. Zack would always hate the fact that Leira was assigned to command their unit. It was customary that one of the Elite stay with a platoon of SOLDIERs. The role of the Turk Elite in that situation was to be back up in case things got rough, second in command if the first commander was killed in action, and clean up. If at any time, the mission had failed, and the SOLDIERs in the platoon had not carried out their mission to the fullest, the Elite were to kill everyone and destroy the bodies. Cloud had heard from other Elite that Leira had been responsible for three clean up operations. When he and Zack had defected from the Nibelheim operation, she was the one assigned to handle their capture. Cloud had learned later that her mission to retrieve him was cut short because of her reassignment to protect Rufus Shinra, the vice President

It made Cloud nervous to think that the same woman that became a mother figure to him could have ended up killing him. He wondered if she was still going to have to kill him after her Sephiroth mission was completed.

Yuffie and Cait Sith walked side by side. It was almost a comical sight. The little boyish Ninja strode along next to the tiny cat seated on the shoulders of a huge pink mog. Yuffie looked around slowly as she walked. She figured that she hated these jungles as much as Cid and the others. A crackling sound was heard from above them. She stopped in her tracks and looked at Cloud. "Nope, still there." She whispered.

The entire group paused and looked up in the direction of the sound. Vincent had his ultimate weapon, Death Penalty at the ready. He stood there calmly looking up into the tree line. Yuffie had one of her massive shurikens ready to throw. As a little Ninja, she was trained to use all kinds of weapons but her best attacks usually came from the huge throwing stars at her disposal. Reeve had taken a position behind Cloud on the ground. The blonde spiky haired boy stood above him with his sword in hand.

"Where is it?" asked Cait Sith nervously.

"Don't you mean what is it?" cautioned Cid.

"Shhh." Yuffie whispered.

The sound grew louder. It couldn not be one object it had to be a few dozen of something. The sound was heading downward at them from the top of the trees. Whatever it was it traveled fast.

"Get ready," barked Cid.

"Uhmmm, Cid, it sounds like there's a lot of them." Yuffie said as she tugged on Cid's sleeve.

The pilot gazed upward as a shower of leaves sprung forth from the trees. Long brown tendrils began whipping around through the foliage. "I hate this friggin' jungle!" Cid cried as he grabbed his spear. The mass was almost upon them. Shrill cries of hunger sounded forcing the party to cover their ears. Immediately, large brown chunks of living wood began falling over the group.

"Holy shit!" Cid bellowed.

The bodies of these creatures were circular and had two long tendrils that whipped around. The faces of these creatures took up their entire body. They had large evil eyes and a huge mouth twisted into a crazed grin.

Vincent sprung into action shooting any creature that came close to him. Yuffie lined up her targets, let fly with her shuriken, and mowed them down three at time.

Cait Sith ran over to Cid. "Y'know what? I think you should call on the Highwind crew for help."

Cid looked at the little black and white cat staring him in the face and than looked over at Cloud who was thrashing his sword at the creatures in an attempt to protect Reeve and Leira.

Yuffie looked over at Vincent. "Get ready I'm gonna burn!"

The dead man smiled as he noticed her fingering the matured fire materia imbedded in her weapon. "Fire in the hole." He shouted as he dropped to his knees.

Cid grabbed Cait Sith and pulled him to the ground. Cloud used his body to shield Reeve and Leira.

Yuffie Kisaragi raised her hands to the heavens and whispered a little chant. Within seconds, a huge fire bolt shot down from the sky. The entire mob of plant creatures was engulfed in a fiery blaze.

FWOOOOOSH

The surrounding trees caught fire too. Yuffie had not figured on the rest of the jungle catching fire as well. "Uhm, anyone have ice materia." She yelped as the burning creatures began to spread the fire around the forest trying to escape.

Vincent tapped her on the shoulder and pointed over at Cloud who had already begun to chant. "I think that's our cue to get out of here." He said and lifted her onto his back.

"Everybody lets go!" shouted Cid.

Reeve gathered Leira up into his arms and sprinted after the others. He looked back at Cloud briefly to see if he could assist him.

"Don't worry! I've got everything covered!" the boy shouted.

Reeve waved and was on his way. As he ran through the forest, he noticed the air had gotten noticeably colder and it appeared that a light snow was starting to fall. He had to move quickly or be caught up in a major blizzard.

The group had cleared the worst part of the woods and entered the ruined town of Mideel. Not a lot had changed since their last visit. The tiny wooden houses were still in pieces but there was evidence of them being inhabited. When Reeve finally entered the clearing, he looked around. "This is where the top doctors are supposed to be living. You guy's are nuts. There's nothing here but splinters."

Cid turned to Reeve and buried his fist in his palm. Just as the scene was about to get ugly a man in a white coat came out.

The man bore the appearance of being tall and friendly looking. A tall blonde nurse followed him. "Hi, guys!" he said. "What can I do for you?"

Yuffie smiled at Reeve. The President could just stand there with his jaw hanging open. "You people live like this?"

The doctor ignored him and turned his attention to Cid. "Where's your young friend?"

Cid smiled and pointed at the smoke rising from the forest. "He'll be catching up soon. Anyway, we were wondering if you could help us with a problem. You see, one of our crew suffered some kind of episode and, well, she kinda passed out. She's breathing but not too much."

The doctor motioned to his nurse. She went over to Reeve and opened up Leira's eyelids. She shook her head in surprise. "What happened to her? Doctor, you've got to take a look at her eyes I've never seen anything like them."

The doctor approached and looked for himself. He slammed his hand over his mouth. A look of fear covered his face. He shook his head and stepped back. Her eyes had begun to darken. They were almost black in color like a newly formed bruise. There was almost no white left in them.

"What's going on?" Cloud asked as he joined the group. He sheathed his sword and looked at the expression on the doctor's face. "I take it, it's nothing good."

"Come on, we've got to get her inside!"

The nurse led the way as they headed toward a tiny tent. A tiny desk and a table were all that was in it. The doctor motioned for Reeve to lay Leira down on the table. Reeve backed away and stared at his niece just lying there. Vincent stood next to him and looked on.

The Mideel doctor took one last look at her eyes before looking up and addressing the group. "It appears to be another case of Mako poisoning." He said flatly.

"Yo, doc, what's wrong with her eyes?" pressed Cid.

"Ah, that. That's the problem. The Mako poisoning isn't the worst thing."

Everyone's eyes locked on the doctor. "Her eyes are telling me of something else. She has some other kind of chemical flowing through her blood stream. That's what contributed to the color change in her eyes. It appears that this chemical has been flowing through her blood for a while, for her eyes to look like this."

Reeve looked at the intimidating Vincent Valentine standing next to him. He looked back at Cloud who had his eyes locked on Leira, over at Yuffie who was also looking at his niece. Reeves eyes wandered over to Cait Sith who was staring back at him shaking his furry head. "I think we should tell 'em boss."

At this point Reeve began to regret ever giving this creation of his artificial intelligence. The whole room eyed him. Reeve heaved a sigh and put his hands to his head. "I'm responsible for what's going on. The chemical was injected into her before Sephiroth went AWOL." A tear flowed from his eye. "I didn't want the same to happen to her. Hojo had kidnapped her…did so much to her. I couldn't stand by and watch as she became a love toy for Sephiroth."

"What did you do?" snarled Cloud. Vincent was making Reeve uneasy too. The blood red eyes turned on him and his weapon rose.

For everything he said, Reeve knew the only story he could tell to ensure his safety was a half truth. "One of the Midgar doctors learnt of what Hojo did to her. He was concerned too. She was going to be Hojo's ticket to godhood. I couldn't let that happen." He gulped and looked into those blood red eyes again. "We thought it would be best if we injected a serum into her that would make her forget him faster, forget anything having to do with Sephiroth and Hojo. We didn't know she'd end up like this."

Yuffie threw her arms around Cloud and buried her face in his chest.

"Why?" asked Cloud.

"We figured that if we kept her memories intact she might fulfill Hojo's dreams or go mad like Sephiroth. We…I didn't want to take that chance. It's bad enough that her genetic makeup is that of SOLDIER." Reeve heaved a sigh. "The chemical was also meant to cancel out any of Sephiroth's powers. It's kind of like a liquid materia. The carrier can only use certain types of materia effectively. Magically speaking his powers shouldn't cause her too much damage."

"Dude, you're sick." Spat Yuffie.

The doctor shook his head. "I see you didn't really research this drug completely. I'm going to take out some blood samples and take it from there. In the meantime, I think it best you guys look around. I'll send the nurse out to you when we're ready."

Cloud stood next to Reeve. "For your safety, I think you'd better stay here."

The ex-SOLDIER turned and walked out with Cid, Vincent, Yuffie and Cait Sith.

"This isn't the drug developed for the safe release of Gold Saucer convicts into society was it?"

Reeve turned to him. "Yeah it is." He lied. "The science department modified it a little to handle materia."

"I see. You do realize that the Mako in her blood stream was already toxic enough without this chemical. I really honestly don't see why Shinra needed all these modifications to their army."

Reeve wandered over to the edge of the tent and looked outside. _"If you wanted to keep a lie alive long enough to overcome the guilt of losing loved one-a loved one would you have done any different?"_ He saw Vincent sitting outside on a log with Death Penalty balancing on his knees, his eyes fixed on the tent. Cid Highwind was sparring with the little ninja. Reeve blinked and saw Cloud pass by the tent with Cait Sith. It appeared they were guarding the tent.

The doctor took a needle out of his pocket and began to draw blood from her. "This test will show just what it is that's going on."

Outside the tent, the mood was somber.

"Come on that's her uncle for Christ's sake. You don't think he did it deliberately do you?" Cid asked as he dodged a flying kick from Yuffie.

"Comin' at ya!" Yuffie said as she landed behind him and threw a haymaker. Cid swung his body around, with spear in hand, and swept at her feet. Yuffie unceremoniously fell to the ground.

"I don't know what to think of any of this." Vincent said.

"None of us do really," said Yuffie. "I just can't believe that Shinra would do something like that to their own people."

Vincent turned his eyes on her. "You can't? Than how do you explain me?"

"Easy Vince." Cid said patting him on the shoulder.

All was quiet inside the tent. Reeve sat down on the ground and buried his head in his knees.

"Would you like some coffee, sir?" asked the nurse.

The President did not even raise his head. He waved the nurse off. He tried not to think about how things were. The past began to remind him of how ugly the truth really was. Leira lie still on the examining table. If it had not been for his fear of losing her, in the first place things might have been different. "Damn Sephiroth!" he cursed.

"Excuse me," poked the doctor.

"I'm sorry." Reeve apologized. He had no idea he expressed himself aloud.

The doctor turned back and began to look the girl over. He lifted her eyelids again and took out another needle. "I'm going to draw some more blood. Your friends out there…" he paused as he tried to think of what to say. "Two of your friends anyway, might be able to reverse the effect of your little memory drug."

Reeve winced. What could the doctor mean? To which "friends" was he referring?

"I just have to run a few quick tests on this blood and I should be able to tell you who I need in a couple seconds." The doctor drew some more of Leira's blood and wandered over to a tiny microscope in the far corner or the tent.

Cait Sith bounced over to his master and hunched over him. "What's he gonna do?" asked the black and white cat.

"He wants to run another blood test."

"I heard that," said the cat. "What about the guys outside?"

"I don't know."

"Mr. President," said the doctor. "Can you bring in the SOLDIER and the man in the red cloak?"

Reeve's eyes went wide. He didn't mind calling in Cloud but Vincent was another story. Ever since his niece's collapse, he had felt nothing but hatred from the ex-Turk. To say Vincent made him feel uneasy was an understatement. "You want me to call who?"

"The blonde haired boy and the man in the red cloak. They were both products of Hojo were they not?"

Reeve cursed to himself.

"Vincent…hoo-boy…I'll be happy to get your medical insurance papers in order, Mister President." The cat mused as the big pink mog stood up.

Reeve had wanted to hit the android but decided against it. There was no point in arguing. Deep in his heart, he knew the doctor and the cat were right. Vincent Valentine and Cloud Strife were indeed products of the mad scientist known as Hojo. Vincent, Leira's uncle knew, would make sure that Reeve paid for his sins in blood.

The President ran his hands through his shoulder length black hair and took a deep breath. "Why do you need them?" he asked as a means to try to find something to argue with the doctor.

The man in the white lab coat lowered his glasses. "One of the two might have strong enough blood to counter the virus that's ripping the girl apart…unless you can think of anyone else that might be willing to be a donor."

Suddenly, Reeve felt sick to his stomach. There was indeed another man he could think of modified by Hojo. The man who he feared all his life, Sephiroth himself, would have been a likely donor. The last thing he wanted to do was hunt down the ex-Shinra general. "No," he said slowly. "I can't think of anyone else."

"Okay then." Said the doctor as Reeve walked out of the tent.

"Here we go," Cloud said noticing the life-sized puppets approach.

"What's the verdict?" asked Cid."

"Yeah," said Yuffie.

Cait Sith hopped over to Vincent. The cloaked man eyed the cat suspiciously.

"You and Vincent," Said Reeve.

"What?" asked Cloud looking over at Vincent.

"The doctor wants to see you and Vincent. He figures that because Hojo tinkered with the both of you, your blood might be strong enough to help her. Since Red XIII's not here, you two will have to do."

Vincent rose and shouldered Death Penalty. Cloud scratched his head and followed the dead man.

"Well said, boss." Cait Sith mused.

Yuffie and Cid stared at each other pondering the next steps.

Cloud, Vincent and Reeve entered the tent.

"Good, good," chided the doctor. "I need a blood sample from the two of you. I've found that her blood has not only Mako in it but also a small quantity of the Jenova byproduct. I have records left over from you, mister Strife, which indicate you as being a member of the Jenova Project."

Cloud stepped forward and held out his right arm. "I thought you still had samples from the time I was suffering from Mako poisoning."

The doctor shook his head. "Everything but the written records and some of the shop goods were destroyed. Blood samples, lives and the like were totally destroyed by the Weapon attack."

"How did you know I was a product of Hojo?" asked Vincent.

The doctor blushed. "I didn't. It was just a guess really. I just looked into your eyes and noticed that they were a very unusual color."

Vincent began to feel uneasy as he rolled up a sleeve. Was it that obvious that he wasn't like every other human?

The Mideel doctor filled a vial of blood from Cloud and Vincent. "There isn't anyone else I could use in case these samples aren't strong enough, is there?"

Reeve shot Cait Sith a warning glance. The cat and mog raised their paws and left the tent.

Vincent approached Leira and held her hand. It was amazing to him that she was still hanging on to life. She was breathing but very lightly. Vincent wondered to himself, why Reeve had not mentioned Sephiroth as a donor. He knew from the tussle in Nibelheim that Sephiroth would have graciously come along. No matter how odd it seemed to Vincent, he remembered seeing the look of concern on the silver haired man's face when Leira was caught in the crossfire.

"Why didn't Reeve mention Sephiroth?" asked Cloud from behind Vincent. "I know he isn't the nicest guy in the world to deal with. I mean other than us; he doesn't want any harm to come to mom."

"Reeve's afraid of something," Vincent said flatly. "Pride is clearly an issue with him."

The doctor mixed the blood samples separately. The types were indeed very different. Cloud's contains an extremely high Mako content but not even close to the fallen Turk Elite. There was a high amount of Lifestream in the tiny sample. He picked up the vial of Vincent's blood and mixed a clear solution into it. "Wow!" Yelled the doctor.

"What's that?" asked Reeve as he leaned over him.

"Mr. Valentine. You're a lot older than you look!"

"What does my age have to do with anything?" he hissed at the Mideel man.

"Absolutely nothing." The doctor grinned. "You aren't a good candidate. Not only do you not seem to have a good sense of humor…You seem to be lacking any lifestream or Jenova content in your blood."

Vincent's eyes glowed with rage. The sharpshooter stormed out of the tent without glancing back.

"Poor fellow." The doctor beamed. "You on the other hand, Mr. Strife, may hold the key to unlocking the cure."

Cloud's eyes widened. The doctor grabbed the young man by the arm and pulled him over to the microscope. "Watch this." He said excitedly.

The medical technician opened the top of Cloud's blood sample and mixed it with Leira's. Nothing seemed to happen but the doctor was overjoyed. He started bouncing up and down excitedly.

Cloud scratched his head. "What happened?"

"Nothing! That's just it."

Reeve did not understand any of this.

"I can tell you're all confused but it's nothing, really. ahem Cloud has a lovely little cure-all in his blood called lifestream. You can't see it but it is there. Cloud's Mako content wasn't as high as hers but the lifestream kind of makes up for it."

"I don't get it." Cloud winced. "Do you just want us to take her out back and hold her in the lifestream?"

"Is that what that green water is?" asked Reeve.

"Yes. That is lifestream out there," the doctor said, "As for holding her in it…don't be absurd."

The ex-SOLDIER and the President looked at each other in confusion.

"When you floated onto our shore you were only in the lifestream for a couple days. It managed to bring back your memory and cure your poisoning. Without it, you would have been suffering from permanent brain damage. What's going on with her isn't that much different."

"So?" asked Reeve.

"The way I see it." The doctor continued. "I need to find someone with a huge amount of Mako in their blood as well as a good portion of lifestream…preferably someone that's bathed in the stuff for years. I don't think anyone's capable of surviving that type of exposure so she's just about as good as lost."

Cloud was angry. "Can't my blood help her out any?!" he shouted.

"For some strange reason, I can only use it for a temporary cure, a couple days at most."

"Isn't there enough of your cure-all in there?" Reeve's voice boomed.

The doctor raised an eyebrow and studied him with utmost suspicion. "Only enough for a temporary fix. She might end up totally brain dead from the tiny bit of lifestream interfering."

"Why is lifestream so important for her survival in the first place if it's going to end up making things worse for her, anyway?!" Cloud was now completely outraged.

"You see, mister Strife, she doesn't have any lifestream in her blood at all. You have just enough inside to balance the Mako content in your blood to keep you alive. I figure if I can find someone living with a huge amount of Mako and Lifestream, maybe she won't end up being brain dead for the rest of her life. I figure that lifestream in its purest form might throw her body into distress, that's why the Mako is so important."

"What's wrong with you Reeve?! Don't you know that there's only one person now that can help her?!"

A tear flowed down the cheek of Leira's uncle. It seemed that the object of his hatred was going to play a part in the girl's life after all.

The doctor was confused. "Do you know something?" he asked turning towards Reeve.

"There is a…no…was a man who was born with Mako blood." Reeve began.

"Excellent." The Mideel native blurted out.

"He was also a product of Hojo. Almost eight years ago, his body was set adrift and eventually encased in lifestream."

"Really," inquired the doctor. "Who is he? Do you know where we can find him?"

"His name is Sephiroth." Cloud replied solemnly. "Isn't it, Reeve?"

"Wait, wait. The Great Sephiroth?!" The doctor began to shake his head wildly. "I thought he was dead."

"No." said Reeve finally. "He's very much alive."

"I met up with him a couple days ago in Nibelheim. My guess is that he's still there." Cloud said slowly.

"What makes you so sure?" asked Reeve.

"It's just a hunch," Cloud said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I think something pretty big is going down and Nibelheim will be the place where it's all going to happen."

Reeve and the doctor glanced at each other.

"As Sephiroth dragged me around I felt a strange air. The entire Shinra mansion was being rebuilt too. Along with Tifa, Vincent, Sephiroth and myself have strong ties to the village."

The next thing Reeve knew he was in the Highwind and on a course for Nibelheim. "Now let me get this straight. You're suggesting that we just go up to him and ask for his help!" The President slapped a hand over his face.

"Maybe we could say please!" spat Yuffie.

Vincent stood over in the corner of the control room. He did not care about what was going on. All he wanted was to finally get the Elite back and deal with Sephiroth for the last time. As he stood there with his arms folded, dressed in his crimson cloak, he wondered what Sephiroth's reaction would be. Would he be sympathetic to the groups cause or would he be angry at what had happened to Leira after he found out about her collapse? Vincent was not sure what had happened back in the dungeon of the Nibelheim mansion that day.

"I gotta admit," said Cid, "it does sound kind of silly."

"You should have seen him back in the basement." Cloud waved a hand and shook his head. "He wouldn't hurt her. She just walked right up to him and he let us go."

"Yeah but not without a going away present!" interrupted Yuffie. "Remember the huge fireballs he smacked the side of the ship with?"

"That's right," remembered Cid, "there's still burns on my bikini goddess!"


	8. Contact

Several minutes later the airship Highwind touched down before the haunted town of Nibelheim. A metal plank lowered to allow free passage of its travelers.

Yuffie looked around in a daze. "Do we have to go back there?"

Cloud took the small ninja's hand in his and smiled. He was born in that town but he could not argue her point of view. He was just as uneasy as she was.

The other passengers aboard the Highwind disembarked. The regular crews stayed onboard to make sure that the ship was properly maintained and ready to escape.

By reason of vote, everyone had decided the President stay behind as well. Reeve was not happy about the order to stay on the ship but he found himself to weak and grief-stricken, for any other action.

Cloud, Cait Sith, Yuffie, Cid and Vincent, chose a building to search. Just as the ex-SOLDIER had reported, Nibelheim did have the appearance of being rebuilt.

When all members of the party regrouped, no one was able to offer any clues to Sephiroth's whereabouts.

"We looked everywhere!" Cid pointed out.

"He wasn't in the inn," said Yuffie as she readjusted her headband.

Vincent sat down on the bottom step of the water tower and crossed his legs. "I didn't find him either."

Cloud looked around the town. He was positive that Sephiroth was close by.

The toysaurus bounced around. The black and white cat readjusted the crown on his head and hummed to himself. Artificial Intelligence was good to have but it did not answer every question. "Boss, do you have any more ideas?"

Reeve sat with his hands folded underneath his chin. In case of trouble, the team had decided that he should stay in the airship. The President sat in the conference room and watched the outside from a tiny monitor suspended from the ceiling.

Leira's uncle sighed and glanced around. The missing general and the rebuilt town as well bothered him. "You bastards put so much money into your pet projects and test tube babies…you could have rebuilt Midgar for half the cost." He muttered. "Mako energy had its flaws but you kept using it and almost got us all killed."

Cloud raised his head quickly and ran to Cait Sith. "Reeve that's the one place we haven't looked into yet!"

The cat was confused. He patted Cloud's spiky hair. "I think you're having a bad reaction from the fumes in your hair care products."

The SOLDIER frowned. "The reactor on Mount Nibel! We haven't tried looking there!"

Reeve smiled. "That's a good idea!"

Vincent adjusted his cloak. "It's easy to give orders when you're not on the battlefield yourself." He muttered under his breath.

Cid hoped down from his perch and tapped the dead man with his halberd. "Easy there, Vince."

The little Ninja glanced around and set her eyes on the foreboding mountain in the background. "We have to go over there?! I can't believe we left the car behind. It's not fair!"

The team checked their weapons and began the long trek up the mountain. They decided that it would be safest to follow the road since it was flat and not far from their target.

Along the way, they faced a number of monsters but were able to make short work of them thanks to the materia they adorned. The trip had taken several hours and Cait Sith ended up giving Yuffie a piggyback ride on the way to the top.

Once at the foot of the reactor Cloud stopped. A strange thought had surfaced. "I think we should look in there first." He pointed to a metal door in the side of the black mountain.

Cid sidled up to the boy. "You sure, kid?"

Vincent was not about to wait. He approached the door and turned the handle slowly.

The interior was empty. The lighting was still poor but the group remembered the path from their first mission to stop Sephiroth. The reactors runoff pipes were even rustier than he remembered. Unlike the town, the Nibelheim reactor was left untouched.

"Where do we go from here, Reeve?" he asked as he turned to the Mog.

Reeve clenched his hands. He wanted to scream out 'how should I know' but he knew the ex-Turk would be looking for an argument. During Leira's ordeal, he had made his intentions known to Reeve from the start. Vincent had developed strong feelings for his niece. "Another freak." Reeve mumbled to himself.

"What was that, Boss?" asked the mechanical cat.

"I say we go down," said the twenty four year old. Cloud and the others walked over some slats of rotten plywood and headed towards a rusted fold up ladder.

Cait Sith had traveled down first and was followed by Cloud.

"Anyone who starts singing about memories gets a knuckle sandwich ala Yuffie!" The little ninja remarked as she prepared to climb down the beaten white ladder. "Oh, and Cloud no looking up my shorts!"

The blond haired SOLDIER looked up at her and rolled his eyes.

"Kidding! Geez, it was just a joke lighten up!" she replied.

Cid tried his best to keep Vincent from going down after the little girl. "I told you a long time ago; don't let her get to you! She's just a kid. Let her gain a couple years than you can pound her all you want!" The grizzled pilot winked and descended the ladder.

The dead man in the scarlet cloak shrugged his shoulders and followed Cid and the others.

"Hey, what's that over there?" asked Yuffie as she pointed towards a smaller cave.

There was a light coming out of the crevice. An eerie glow reminded the group of a light emitted from a lantern.

From his hole in the Highwind, Reeve was beginning to sweat. "It might be him. Be careful."

The nineteen-year-old girl was getting nervous. "Wasn't there a materia monster somewhere down here…we beat him…but, don't you think there could have been more of them…?"

The team looked at their weapons and made sure that they had the proper materia gems equipped. Every one of them remembered the giant blue scorpion known as the Materia Keeper and his lightning and fire combination attack known as trine.

Vincent pushed ahead followed by Cid and Cloud. The three men were the strangest of the group. If anything were to go wrong, Cid needed to get Yuffie out and find another alternative to curing the Elite. Cait Sith was not concerned with emergencies or escapes. For many years, he had always considered his body expendable. He was one of several Cait Sith robots that could be deployed at will. "We're heading towards the light." Joked the cat.

Cid, Cloud and Vincent took a position on one side of the cave and began to edge forward.

Sitting on the ground was the white haired general himself. A green materia levitated above his head. Every time Sephiroth waved a gloved hand in the air, the little gem would follow. "Such a shame that I don't need to use this type of power anymore." He said softly. "Nor do I need sense materia to detect enemies." With those words, the tiny green orb ceased in its arc and flew at the pilot.

Cid was caught off guard as the materia collided with the side of his head knocking him unconscious.

"Reeve, we found him and he's not happy to see us." Said Cait Sith as the huge pink mog began to bounce around nervously.

Sephiroth got to his feet and floated a couple feet off the ground. He spun around to face Leira's saviors. "All this for one girl!"

Lieandra's uncle could not take it anymore. He darted out of the room and punched any crewmember that stood in his way. "I'm coming Leira…I'm coming."

Sephiroth's cold sarcasm was more than Cloud could tolerate. He stepped forward with his buster sword in hand. "She needs your help! Without you she might as well be dead!"

His former general broke from his levitation and flew at Cloud.

As quickly as he could, the blonde boy recited a small lightning spell that blasted its way outward and smothered his attacker.

Sephiroth was thrown head first into one of the walls of the dark cavern. He put his gloved hand to his forehead to check for blood. He looked at the little red splotch on his fingertip and smiled. "Did you ever think that it might be better if she died right now?!"

"I knew it!" yelled Vincent as he threw his left arm out to the side. "There's no sense in trying to be civil with him. We might as well just end this now!"

"I'm with the dead man!" chided Yuffie.

Cid began to regain consciousness. He put his arms bellow him and tried to clear his head. He tried to feel around for his spear but it was not close enough for him to grab. As he looked around for his weapon, he noticed a pair of shiny shoes in front of him. He glanced upward. There before him was Reeve. "What are you doing here? We told you stay up there with the others!"

Reeve took a deep breath. "I know. It's my fault things are going this way. I'm going to make it right." The President stepped over Cid and began the walk to Sephiroth.

The ex Shinra general pulled himself up into a standing position. Yuffie ran for him. She held the gigantic Shuriken behind her so she would be able to carry on a powerful slash. Sephiroth held out his hand and caught the little girl by the throat. Before she could ever land her attack, he tossed her into Vincent. The ex-Turk and the little ninja crashed into the nearest wall.

Vincent hit the hardest and ended up lying on his back with Yuffie sitting on his stomach.

"Yuffie! Vincent!" Cloud yelled.

"We're fine!" Vincent coughed as Yuffie tried to shake the cobwebs out of her head.

The ex-SOLDIER was fed up. He raised the sword high above his head and was just about to run for Sephiroth when someone yelled, "Stop!"

Cloud turned around to face Reeve. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm going to help." He said as he approached him. "This is just as much my fight as it is yours."

"This is rich!" chided Sephiroth. "Now the gang is all here!" A frozen ring began to form around his hand as he began to conjure up a cold spell.

"Sephiroth," Reeve's voice boomed, "don't you get it...don't you care? I thought you loved her!"

"What if I do?" Sephiroth's hand was still outstretched. "It never really mattered to you anyway did it, Reeve." With a flick of his wrist, the white haired man sent shards of ice flying past Reeve.

Leira's uncle wrapped his arms around himself as he tried to shake his fears away. It was becoming increasingly clear that this man was trying to harm him. Reeve swallowed hard as he tried to think of something to say that might save his own life. "She's going to die, you bastard! She needs you to live! I don't want to see her die...her death is going to be on your hands also, not just mine!"

Sephiroth was unmoved. Everyone's eyes stared at Reeve.

"No matter what I said or what my feelings towards you are, I can't believe the Great Sephiroth himself would carry grudges like this!" Reeve continued.

"I am after all only human!" the ex general chided as he blasted Reeve with a gust of wind.

Reeve backpedaled underneath the strength of the attack and landed flat on the ground. He pulled himself up into a sitting position and wrapped his fingers around his face. "I've failed you, Leira." He whispered to himself.

Sephiroth walked toward him hands glowing red orange with flames. "This will be a pleasure. The last of the Shinra execs..."

"No!" came a voice from the entrance of the cave. Leira had stumbled her way through and was now standing in-between Sephiroth and Reeve. "He's right...I need you."

Sephiroth blinked at the sight before him. There she was dressed in her Elite uniform. Her voice was so weak. She was so close he could feel her body pressed against him. He had not been this close to her since...he suddenly became aware of a strange pressure just above his belt. Leira had grabbed one of Vincent's pistols and was now holding it on Sephiroth.

She put her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, general." Her hair was covering her face. It was dampened with sweat. The trip from the Highwind to Mount Nibel had been a tough one for her. If she really meant anything to him, she had hoped that he would stop his attacks. If she had no meaning to him, Leira had no idea if she had the power to stand up against him. Sephiroth lowered his head. He gazed at her solemnly. "I'm sorry." He whispered to her.

Leira looked into his eyes and smiled weakly before suddenly blacking out. Sephiroth wrapped his arms around Leira and held her close to him. "I'll help you." He said quietly. "But only for her."

Reeve forced a smile as the others got to their feet.


	9. Faceless Delusions

Cloud and company were surprised that Sephiroth had given in. They all boarded the airship together.

"We'll need to go this way." Reeve directed as he led them into the belly of the Highwind. "The doctor from Mideel volunteered to come with us. He's going to handle the transfusion."

The Elite was standing between Cloud and Sephiroth. Her skin looked even paler while she stood next to the figure clad in black. Cloud could see every bead of sweat dripping down her forehead. It seemed that his donation of blood was wearing out.

Vincent was not too far behind the three as they traveled through the steel hallways of the giant airship. Cid was by his side. The old pilot dusted off his blue flight shirt and took a cigarette from behind his ear. He offered it to his friend.

The ex-Turk shook his head and folded his arms. "I don't like this."

Cid patted his shoulder. "Look, Vince. He could'a had us back there. He's not going to hurt her. I think we can be sure of that."

Vincent stopped and let the others keep walking. He grabbed Highwind by the shoulder. "Something just isn't adding up, Cid!"

The blonde haired pilot lit up his cigarette and took a drag off it. "What's with you?"

"If you had seen the things that I have, you would have noticed that there is something…strange, about that man. He could have finished us off you said it yourself! When we escaped from Nibelheim, did you notice that he could have flown up to get her!"

"What are you talkin' about, Valentine?"

"When the ship was getting pummeled with fireballs, remember? Never mind." Vincent huffed and ran down the hallway to catch up with the others.

Just outside of the sickbay, Leira's legs gave out. Her childhood friend lifted her into his arms and passed through the metal door.

Reeve almost choked when he saw the white haired man enter with his niece in his arms.

"Set her down on the table." The Mideel doctor walked over to Sephiroth and helped him lay her down.

Yuffie started to break into tears when she saw her friend's unconscious body. "I'm going to take the kid up to the conference room," said Cait Sith.

Leira's uncle nodded and watched them depart.

"Mr. Sephiroth. I'm going to need you to remove a glove and roll your sleeve up." Sephiroth did as the doctor instructed. "This won't hurt a bit."

A needle hooked up to a plastic bag was inserted into his arm. He watched the deep red fluid travel out of his arm and through the connecting tube.

Vincent and Cid were standing at the back of the sickbay.

"I'll never understand why the blood of evil is needed." The former Turk glared at the offspring of his lost love.

Sephiroth managed to move one hand up and push a few strands of the Turks hair away from her face. Suddenly he felt Vincent's burning glare on him. He stroked the side of the girl's face and looked back at Vincent. Both men's were like stone as their eyes met.

Cloud followed Sephiroth's gaze and walked over to Vincent. "He's helping her, Vincent. You can settle your differences later."

Sephiroth looked back at the bag of blood. It was almost full.

"I'm going to run a couple tests on it, to determine whether or not it's suitable. I really don't see why it wouldn't be but you can't be too sure nowadays." The doctor carefully removed the needle from Sephiroth's vein. "Would you like anything? Something to eat or drink, maybe?"

The Mideel physician's voice landed on deaf ears. "How long will it take for her to recover?" asked Sephiroth.

"Might be a couple days…maybe weeks."

"I can't stay here that long. They'll wonder where I am."

Vincent stepped forward. "Who?" Sephiroth's words were just what he was waiting to hear. "I knew there was something strange going on."

Sephiroth grinned at the shocked faces on everyone in the room. "I can't tell you now. Maybe we both will show you when the time is right. As of now, I'm doing the best I can to keep them away from her." He squeezed Leira's hand. "I'm not strong enough to take them on by myself."

Nothing the former Shinra general said made sense to them. "May I be alone with her…at least until she regains consciousness?"

Reeve stormed over to Sephiroth. "You're kidding, right?! I can't just leave you…"

The doctor placed a hand on the president's shoulder. "It's just my opinion…but, I don't think he mean's her any harm. We could all use some rest." He turned to Sephiroth and tilted his glasses. "Just let me get her set up and I'll be on my way."

In her sleep, Leira was still active. Visions of her past ran wild. She remembered all her experiences with the Turks and the Shinra army. Good and bad, there was no stopping the memories.

_"Are you seeing me now?"_ asked a voice from a distant past.

_"Gawd, Wren, you look like shit!" _she heard herself say. _She had just put the new night vision goggles on her face. They were not nearly as clumsy looking as the first prototypes. These goggles consisted of a black band that went around the wearer's head. Contained inside the long eyepiece were two tiny microchips. They allowed whoever wore to see in full live color but they had an adjustment to see in infrared as well. _

_"Lei, if I didn't love you…" joked Reno. He ran his hands through his thick red hair. _

_"Guy's, shut up I see 'em now," came another voice from her past. _

_"Take your positions." Tseng's voice crackled over the comlink in the goggles. _

_Rude waved to Leira who was carrying her trusty AK-47 and quickly dropped behind a bush. Leira ran off to the side of the road and took aim. She looked back at Reno, "Point! Point!" she shouted. _

_"I know, I know." Headlights started to cut through the darkness. Reno looked back at the six Shinra army officers supplied to them. "You heard her. Formation style now!" _

_With his words, the Shinra officers split up into two groups. They ran to either side of the road and knelt down. Each of them had their weapons ready for attack. _

Leira remembered this mission well. She was stationed in Midgar. Her job was to bring down two escaped SOLDIERs, her own men, Zack and Cloud.

_A pickup truck was coming into view. "This is it." Tseng's voice crackled over the comlink. The Shinra military men raised their M-16s and took aim. Rude was mainly hand-to-hand combat. His job was to pull the driver of the vehicle away from the fight. The Turks were informed the driver, a resident of Nibelheim, was an innocent and that it would bring bad press if news of his death reached the public. Reno was the mission head on the ground. It was hard for him to tell if he was control or not with Leira there. He knew that one wrong move would mean his death. At least he would die by her hand if he screwed up. He looked over at her standing at the side of the road. "Stone cold deadly." He whispered to himself. _

_Lieandra waved over at the Shinra soldiers as the truck came closer. She than took up a position that would put her right in the path of the yellow pick up truck. The soldiers edged their way out of the bushes. A sound could be heard in the distance. Leira looked up, ripped the goggles off her face, and threw them to the ground. _

_"What the fuck?!" Reno's voice came over the comlink. _

_"Son of a bitch." Rude cursed. _

_A Shinra helicopter had appeared over the target vehicle. Leira shook her head and dropped her weapon. She raised her arms up. This was not supposed to happen. She grabbed her goggles and held the microphone to her mouth. "Hello there. Identify yourself." _

_"It's Tseng, Leira." The head of the Turks said _

_"I'm in the middle of something here, boss." She said not hiding her aggravation. _

_"The truck has stopped." One of the soldiers shouted. "We need orders!" _

_Leira picked up her weapon and opened fire on the pick-up. She managed to shoot out the tires causing the vehicle to grind to a halt. "Okay boys, get 'em!" _

_The Shinra got up and ran to the disabled vehicle. _

_"Okay, Tseng, what's the problem?" _

_"Leira, I need you to board the helicopter. Reeve has you reassigned to watch the Vice President. These are also direct orders from the President himself." _

_"Rufus needs a babysitter? You're joking right?!" the last thing she wanted to do was baby-sit some punk kid. _

_"It's an order, Leira! Reno's in charge of clean up. Oh, and Reno, you're to head back to Midgar. Reeve wants to see you in person." _

_Reno looked over at Leira. What would her uncle want to see him for? "Dude, I didn't think my ninety day probation was up yet!" he said over the channel. _

_"AAAAAAAAAGHHH!" a scream was heard coming from the truck. The Turks and Leira looked over in the direction of the sound. A tall black haired man dressed in a SOLDIER uniform and a shorter blonde haired man had emerged from the truck. The black haired one Leira recognized as Zack. He was armed with a huge Buster sword and had already taken out two of six men. The blonde one, she knew, was Cloud. He seemed disoriented and was unarmed. It looked like he was having trouble standing on his own feet. _

_Reno ran over to the fray followed by Rude. Leira was just about to join in when the helicopter landed. Tseng hung out of the bay door. "Come on. You're being expected." _

_Leira looked back at Reno who had stopped and was already watching her. He nodded at her and yelled back. "Go on! We've got it!" _

_Leira bent down, picked up her weapon, and stomped over to the helicopter. Tseng reached out and took her hand as he helped her inside. "We're off to Costa del Sol." He told the pilot. _

_The angered Leira sat down on a side bench with the AK balancing on her knees. Costa del Sol is where she would rather have been with Reno. _

_The helicopter lifted off from the ground. From her vantage point, she could see that the battle with the ex-SOLDIERs was almost over. Rude and Reno were watching the helicopter as it left the area and Zack and Cloud were laid out on the ground presumably dead. There were two Shinra military left. She knew the President wasn't going to be too happy about that. _

_Tseng stood at the door letting his long black hair blow in the breeze created by the helicopter. His slanted eyes gazed out in the morning dimness. "Costa del Sol is a great place to be reassigned. You're an Elite now; you've got to expect accommodations like that." _

_Leira sighed and turned her face away from him. _

_"I know you're pissed off. It was only four regular soldiers. The President's not going to demote you for that." He watched her unbraid her long hair. "You're not even listening to me, are you?" _

_Leira glanced up briefly, raised her left hand and extended her middle finger. The former citizen of Wutai sat down next to her. He removed his black tie and put it in one of the pockets of his dark blazer. "Well, you know I'll be joining you for the first couple of days." He took his blazer off and unbuttoned his white shirt. "Best get ready for some warm weather." _

_Leira looked at him. "What does Reeve want to see Reno for?" _

_"Who knows?" _

_"Didn't Reeve say anything to you about that?" _

_Tseng gave her his best wounded look. "Why, Leira, you know as much as I do that when you're in this game you're never supposed to question your superiors." _

_"Heidegger's your superior not Reeve." She scowled as she began to finger her weapon. _

_"Buck up kid." Tseng said as he lightly punched Leira in the arm. _

_The Elite flashed an angry look at Tseng and let loose with a punch of her own. She pelted him square in the jaw. _

_Tseng recoiled and held his already swelling mandible in his hands. "I can see those sensitivity courses are really paying off…" _

A voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts. "You remember that but what about this?"

_A black boot came into view. She was almost down. It caught her in the stomach and threw her backwards. _

_"OOf." She back peddled a couple steps and fell to the ground. She was hurt. She looked at her arms as they wrapped around her mid section. She was scraped, bleeding, and battered. She began to convulse and cough up blood. Leira felt her head lurch back. She was being grabbed by her hair. What's happening to me? _

_She fought with herself to get up. _

_Another pair of black boots came into view. She tried to look up to see who was wearing them but it was no use. It was bright on this day or was it the fact that she was beginning to lose her battle to stay alive. _

_The figure in Shinra combat boots bent down next to her. He whispered something while touching a green gem. The figure than kissed her on the cheek. Suddenly her wounds repaired themselves and her convulsions slowed until her body began to take control of itself. She felt her arms rise up and encircle this stranger. _

_The man's hands took her by the waist and lifted her off the ground. What's going on? _

_She became frustrated at not being able to see the face of her savior. Whoever this was, she figured he was a master. The restore materia he had just used was fully mature. _

_"What did you do to her?" _

_"She's fine! We were just playing!" _

_"Playing?! You know one of these days you're going to kill each other!" _

"Is any of this coming back to you yet?" said the voice from before. "No? You'll love this part."

_"Wait a minute. One more round. My way." She heard herself say._

_"Leira, no." _That was Reeve. She began to wonder about the time this episode in her life took place.

_"It's okay, Reeve!" Her savior chuckled. _

_Leira pulled herself up to a standing position as the figure backed away. She was now completely healed albeit a little woozy. She ran for the figure, fists clenched tightly in front of her body. _

_"I told you not to lead with your head." The figure barked. _

_"Oh, don't worry I'm not!" she yelled. At the last moment, she grabbed a pouch from inside her uniform and emptied its contents on to herself. With a quick jump, she was carried higher into the air. _

_"Float, huh!" the man in the Shinra boots laughed. He whispered something with a large smile on his face. Immediately, Leira was being pulled from the air. She had no fear at this point. This is what she had been expecting. When her feet finally touched the ground, she had ended up right behind him. She quickly grabbed one of his black clad arms as she stepped back with one of her legs. With a sharp kick, she jerked his leg out from underneath him and wrenched his arm around. _

_With a twisting motion, he crashed to the ground. He landed with his arms beneath him and stared up at her. "Now what?" _

_Leira swung her arms out in front of her and positioned her hands so that her left hand was directly above her right. "Oh, just this!" She began to chant wildly. She violently threw her arms out to her sides as her chanting became louder. _

_Reeve sunk back in horror as the area darkened. He did not really know what was going on until he noticed a red gem attached to the collar of her uniform. "Summon materia!" he shouted out to anyone that happened to be on the training field. _

_The man on the ground looked up at the sky. A crash of thunder sounded and a hooded figure appeared before them. Onlookers who had stayed to watch the event ran away screaming. _

_The summoned creature had thin bony hands and was dressed completely in scarlet. A crimson hood covered the majority of the figures head save for its blood red eyes. A shrill drunken laugh sprung forth from the creature as a large cauldron appeared in front of it. The creature began to chant and wave his arms as Leira had done when she summoned him. _

_"Hades!" Reeve yelped. Leira's favorite summon creature was the god of pestilence himself. Reeve flung himself to the ground in fear. Hades would launch his attack in seconds; there was no escaping it. _

_From her position behind Hades Leira saw the object of her attack as he really was. His long silver hair covered his shoulders and part of his face. She could still see his green glowing eyes and the proud smile that others very seldom seen during these training exercises. He wore the black and gold uniform of a Shinra general. Leira's general was the Great Sephiroth himself. _

_"I hope you've got a strong remedy saved up somewhere or this could really put a damper on my day." _

_Leira smiled broadly at his quip just as Hades launched his attack. In the blink of an eye, several spells were released that caused horrible status effects all at once. Leira believed that this was by far the most devastating attack a summon creature could use…Nightmare. _

Hours after being infused with Sephiroth's blood, Leira's eyes opened wide as she jumped up into a sitting position. She felt something tightly on her right wrist. Her head whipped around to face the man that she had been sent to find.

His cat-like eyes locked on her. The look was stern but clearly contained uncertainty as well. "You were having a nightmare induced by the new blood flowing through your body. They will pass."

"You were in my thoughts." She said cautiously.

Sephiroth blinked slowly and sat back in his chair. "We have a link that's deeper than anything in this world. It's stronger than the blood bond we now share."

Leira heard this and suddenly lost her patience. "What happened to me? What have you done?"

"What has been done is already done. There's no use in shouting about it now." He said calmly. "Besides, your uncle sought out my help in order to save you. It was his way of atoning for past sins against you and myself."

"What are you doing here?" she pulled her wrist out of his grip.

"I would have figured it would have been obvious by now." He lifted his left leg and crossed it over his right. "In order to save your life some of my own blood is flowing through your veins."

"What do you want from me?" she asked through quivering lips.

The question seemed to pull at his heart. He leaned forward as he tried to think of how to phrase the answer. "It's not just blood that we share. We share a history, a past."

The Elite was suddenly horrified.

"Your uncle explained about your memory loss. The doctor here said that it should be restored completely in a matter of weeks because of the Jenova/Lifestream content." Sephiroth's stern features suddenly softened. "I would like for you to meet me after your memory becomes stronger. There is something that we must discuss."

"Why not now?" Leira asked.

"You are not strong enough yet." He said. "I can only stay with you for a short while. There are people that are looking for you. I'm the only one that can keep them away. Soon they will find you, but we can defeat them."

"Who?" she asked.

"Shh." Sephiroth put a finger to his lips. "Just lay back and rest. Don't concern yourself with anything right now. There were so many things she wanted to know. She felt her body relax. Maybe answers will be forthcoming. She thought to herself.


	10. A Moment Of Solitude

In the darkness of the sickbay, Sephiroth sat with his childhood friend. He had his coat off and folded over his knees. He looked over her body. It had been three years since he had last seen her. Even in that short time, she still showed signs of growth. He doubted that she would remember that time. The same people had provided her with the uniform she adorned that stole her memories. Sephiroth could not help but feel angry. He folded his hands underneath his chin.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Not long." Cloud said as he entered the room. "I just wanted to thank you…for her."

Cloud's former general heaved a sigh. "That's not the only reason. You're wondering about them."

The boy blushed as he slowly made his way over to Sephiroth. It felt strange to approach the same man that had tried to kill off everyone on the planet.

"It must be dark outside." Sephiroth said in an attempt to derail the subject. "She's asleep." He stood up and pulled his long coat on.

"Aren't you going to tell me about 'them'?" asked Cloud.

"Let's talk on the observation deck."

Cloud glanced at Leira and followed Sephiroth through the halls of the Highwind until they were looking out at the nighttime sky. It would be several minutes before the Highwind would reach its destination.

Sephiroth leaned against one of the metal railings. "We're heading to Costa del Sol aren't we?"

"Yeah." The boy answered. "Reeve wants to watch her better. Now, about 'them'."

"You've changed a lot since the Nibelheim mission. I'm impressed. I burned your town down and you are still standing here."

Cloud's lip began to quiver. "Sephiroth!"

The ex-general gave a foul smirk and cocked his head at the boy. "Remember the reactor? No doubt, you saw it. I'm sure Zack told you about it before I killed him."

Cloud was getting angry. "What? What did I see? What did Zack tell me about?!" he shouted.

Sephiroth raised a hand at Cloud and laughed. "The creatures in the reactor. The ones that were being stored in tanks. The same monsters that used to be human."

"The ones that Hojo was working on?" Cloud remembered his friend Zack telling him about monsters hidden within the Nibel reactor. He could not remember seeing one of those strange monsters. "What about them?"

"Those same monsters are the reason why I'm here, standing before you. They still bear Jenova's being. They exist now for revenge. "

"Than, Sephiroth, we'll just have to turn around and get rid of them. We don't have to wait on her to get better."

In all his years, this was the first time that the Shinra general felt afraid. He grabbed Cloud by the shoulders. "Look, don't you think I've tried to beat them? Granted my powers aren't what they once were…"

The boy looked into Sephiroth's aquamarine eyes. They were crazed with fear. "What do you need her for?" he cast off the man's hands from his shoulders.

"I need her to help me defeat them. Those creatures think that they have full control over me. That's the only reason why I kidnapped you from Rocket Town…that's the only reason why I ever attacked any of you in the first place. They know about Leira! They know about her abilities. They want her under they're control too, Cloud!"

This was too much for Cloud. "How did they bring you back anyway? How are they controlling you?"

Sephiroth looked out into the starlit sky. He only spoke one word. "Holy."

"Come again? If they're from Jenova that means they're evil. How are they able to use Holy?"

"It's some blasted combination of materia. Even I'm not sure what combination it is. All I do know is that their power can bring me to my knees. I've been able to stall them for now with the information that I've been providing them about her. They know about her illness. I've convinced them that they will be informed when she's strong enough to fight for them."

"Are you really going to do that?"

"I don't have a choice." Sephiroth lowered his head. "I just hope that she will be stronger than she was before. I plan to take her to a few places from the past and monitor her."

"You know that everyone aboard this ship will help her." Cloud mumbled. He leaned against the railing next to Sephiroth.

"I was banking on your help, actually. Once we are able to go back to Nibelheim, you people are going to destroy us." His tone of voice made Cloud uneasy. He had sounded like he was holding back a laugh. The general turned to face Cloud. "I'm going back to sickbay and rest."

Cloud suddenly felt weak. "Us? You mean the creatures and you…and Leira?!"

The general pulled his coat tighter around himself and walked through the metal doorway that led to the interior of the ship. Cloud rushed over to him and grabbed a hand.

Sephiroth swatted the boy away and kept walking. The ex-SOLDIER was left staring out at the sky alone. He could not help but wonder what the future would hold.

"Hey, Cloud." Cid said as he stepped onto the deck. "I passed your Mr. Sunshine in the hallway. I just thought you'd like to know that we're ready to land."

The entire Highwind crew disembarked. Cloud helped Sephiroth and Reeve carry the weakened Elite to the president's villa. Everyone else retired to the inn for a much-needed rest.

Inside the villa, Reeve had shut himself in the room where Leira was to sleep. He did not want anyone around her, let alone Sephiroth.

Cloud noticed Sephiroth exiting the former Shinra residence. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to contact my…superiors. Than I'm going to round up a couple chocobos. It's going to be a long journey for her. I will be returning for her in a couple days.

The next morning Cloud held a briefing. He wanted to inform everyone about the latest Jenova threat facing them. He had suggested that Reeve attend. The little ninja volunteered to keep an eye on Leira while her uncle was out.

Yuffie leaned over the bathtub. "So…uh…you're feeling better, right?"

Leira looked Yuffie over and studied her expression. "I'm fine." She said as she wrung out her sponge over her head.

"You've got Sephiroth's blood running through your veins and all you can say is you're fine?!" Yuffie rolled her eyes. "His blood still contains some of that Jenova stuff, not to mention that Mako stuff and some of the Lifestream stuff too!"

"The doc said that the effects of the Jenova content on me are unknown, the lifestream content should aid my memory and help straighten out the Mako…stuff."

"Why couldn't Cloud donate? He's got Mako and Jenova and lifestream."

"Yuffie, you forgot that Sephiroth and I were both Hojo's special project. We were meant to be used as a pair so our make up is similar. Cloud was one of Hojo's experiments but he was modified for SOLDIER not…"

A knock at the door was heard.

"Can't a girl get a bath in private? Who the hell is it?" barked the aggravated ninja.

"It's Cloud." Came the reply. "And Vincent." Added Cloud.

Leira looked up from her scrubbing. "You can let them in."

"But, but …uh…they're, like, guys and you're a naked girl." Yuffie pondered these thoughts for a bit. "I'm giving the lady a bath butt out!"

The Turks eyes narrowed. She grabbed her sponge and threw it at Yuffie. On impact, it exploded into a spray of cold water. "Eeeek! What was that for?" shrieked Yuffie as she dashed about for a towel.

"Look. I doubt that they haven't seen the female body before. Let them in."

The little girl sulked as she found a cloth and began to try to pat herself dry. "Okay." She went to the door and stuck her head through. "She says you can come in."

Cloud looked at the soapy wet spot on Yuffie's shirt. "She got mad didn't she?"

"Just a little."

"Well, I was just escorting Vincent over here. He wanted to see her."

Yuffie grimaced at Cloud. "Vincent?! What do you want to see her for?"

"I have my concerns as well. Concerns that I'd imagine aren't that different from your own." He growled.

"C'mon, Yuff. Let's go look around. It's been awhile since we walked around Costa del Sol together." Cloud blushed when he saw the naked Leira from over Yuffie's shoulder. He waved awkwardly at her.

The ninja reluctantly gave in to his request. "You guys play nice or I'm gonna kick Vincent's ass." With those final words, she took Cloud by the hand and was off.

Vincent stood in the doorway and watched them leave the villa. He could see children running around playing soccer in the brief seconds that the outside door was open.

"I know it's Costa del Sol but I'm still getting a little chilly."

Vincent looked behind him remembering that the bathroom door was still slightly open. He blushed and shut the door behind him as he approached her. "Uhhm. You sure you don't mind?" He asked as he tried not to stare at her nakedness.

"There weren't any doors back at the barracks so showers were never private." She smiled. "New look?" she asked as she eyed Vincent up and down. She noticed that he was wearing black shorts and a blood red t-shirt. His unruly hair was tied back by a red ribbon.

"Hmm. Oh, it's just warm around here. I figured that I might as well dress the part." He walked over to her and sat on the toilet next to where Leira was bathing. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Yeah, I'll be okay. The Jenova content mixed with lifestream is something different…"

"I can't believe that the only way to possibly cure you was to have the blood of evil injected into you."

"Do I detect a hint of jealousy? I don't doubt that Reeve didn't have to fess up to what happened to me." She said as she rubbed soap around her shoulders.

"Cloud pretty much forced the whole story out of him. Sephiroth just disappeared completely after we got here."

"He just left?! He can't just leave!" she tried to get out of the tub but Vincent pushed her back down.

"We have to let him go, this time. We have to reorganize our plans. The doctor said that we might have two dangers on our hands. We're supposed to keep an eye on you also as well as him."

Leira shrugged and sank back into the warm water. "That's right. I'm part of his plan now that my immunities to him are fading and my memories are coming back." A look of depression began to show on her face. Never in her dreams did she expect that she would become a walking weapon. She knew that her training from the Turks and the army made her a killer but the thought of being a natural disaster was ridiculous. "That's why he scared Reno away. It wasn't just because of Sephiroth…" her eyes began to tear up. "It was because of me too."

Vincent put a hand on her shoulder. "Your uncle wanted to protect his people and you at the same time. We'll make sure that you'll be safe." Awkwardness seemed to settle over Vincent as he realized how much he doubted his own words.

Leira gave a small smile and she rested her hand on his leg. "Thank you." She whispered. Vincent nodded at her and looked into the wall mirror across from him. Leira quickly moved the one hand that was touching him and reached up with the other. She slowly stood up, while his attention was diverted and threw her arms around his shoulders. With a heave, she pulled him back into the tub with her.

Vincent fell into the tub with a huge splash. Water flew everywhere. He toppled onto her clumsily. His hair covered his face in a black mass as the ribbon slipped off.

"Poo!" spat Leira as she brushed his hair away from her face.

Vincent was on all fours above her. He was completely soaked. It was comforting to know that his face was covered in his hair so she could not detect his embarrassment.

Leira giggled and began to push his hair back exposing his features. He looked at her awkwardly as he felt her breasts against him. "Uhmm." He said slowly.

"Uhmm." She repeated while she raised an eyebrow at him. The Elite raised her arms up to rest on his shoulders once more. She moved her face closer to his. Vincent blushed. He felt even clumsier now but he moved his face closer to hers.

There in the bathtub it was just the two of them. They shared their first kiss in the tiny room. Wrapped in each other's arms the room melted away. Thoughts of what was to come faded.

"We're leaving tomorrow." She whispered into his ear.

Vincent lowered his head and closed his eyes. "You and Sephiroth."

"Yes."

He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. "I won't let you leave."

"You have to." She said softly. "You don't have a choice." She said against his shoulder. "If I stay here there's no telling what might happen."

Vincent lowered his head and rubbed it along her neck. "I want to come along."


	11. The Road To The Past

Vincent sat in his room at the inn. He pondered the events that would eventually become a reality. He thought about the return of Sephiroth and the group's partnership with him. Most of all, he thought about Leira. There was so much about her that intrigued him. For the life of him, he could not figure out what it was about her that drew him closer. The dead man was sure that her affiliation with his old employers had nothing to do with it. Until he was sure what his feelings were for her, he decided that he would be by her side. "Best get some rest." Vincent said to himself as he laid his crimson uniform on top of his belongings. He fully intended to travel with Leira and Sephiroth.

Morning came. The sunlit beaches of Costa del Sol offered little comfort to those that were not on vacation.

Reeve had been hoping that the day had never come. He watched as his niece put finishing touches on her packing. She had cleaned her AK-47 and propped it up against her stacks of luggage. "Something wrong, Reeve?" she asked as she sat on the floor cross-legged to sort her ammunition rounds.

"You're really going to do this?"

Leira picked up a hollow point bullet and eyed its silver top curiously. "Can you hand me my side arm?" she asked unconcerned.

Reeve wandered over to her dresser and handed Leira her Turk issue Glock 21.

Leira put the bullet to her mouth and bit into it with her back molars. "I don't have a choice. I want to know as much as I can about what's going on. Sephiroth swore that learning about our…" she wrinkled her nose at the bullet and pulled the magazine out of the .45 caliber handgun. "…Er, my past would help stop whoever. Besides, when it's all said and done, I can decide what I want to do with our white haired friend."

Reeve did not find any solace in her answer. "I just want you to be safe. Maybe you guys will find another way. I'm glad that Vincent is going along. I just don't want anything bad to happen to you. You're all the family I've got right now."

Leira slid the Glock into a holster underneath her left arm and gave Reeve a hug. "We'll kick some ass." She smiled.

Sephiroth entered the resort town with three gold chocobos. These rare birds could travel over any sort of terrain, be it swamp, mountain, river or ocean. He did not want to involve Cloud and the others on this particular trip. This was time that he wanted to spend gathering intelligence and helping Leira develop her true potential before the impending battle. He had told his handlers about his mission but he did not tell them about where he would be visiting.

The sun beat down on his black uniform as he stopped the birds just outside of Reeve's villa.

Cloud had been waiting with Vincent and the others on the steps of the inn. Both men approached Sephiroth. "I anticipated your joining us, Mr. Valentine, so I rounded up another chocobo."

Vincent did not respond as he began to load his weapons onto the back of the large yellow bird.

"She's still at the villa getting things together." Cloud said.

A couple minutes later Leira stepped out of her uncle's house. She frowned when her eyes fell on the chocobos. "You know, I've got a nice car…"

Sephiroth flinched. "Chocobos can travel in any type of environment at high speeds. On top of that, I remember how you drive."

The Elite rolled her eyes and began to put her belongings onto her chocobo. "That's not funny," she mumbled.

After a quick exchange of goodbyes, Leira, Vincent and Sephiroth climbed onto their chocobos and started for the ruined city known as Midgar.

Yuffie was tucked underneath Cloud's arm as they watched the three yellow chocobos leave. A tear came down her eye as her nightmares began to come true.

"You look just like your mother." Sephiroth said to Leira as he caught up to her. "She was a very beautiful woman."

Leira looked straight ahead. This was not the time for her to be bogged down by the past.

"That's interesting you should say that." Vincent interjected. "You yourself look so much like your own mother...your human mother that is."

Sephiroth drew the chocobo to a halt as he began to process his words. He closed his eyes in wonderment and urged the gold colored bird forward until he was even with Vincent.

"Back in the Northern Crater...it was your thoughts I came across."

Vincent Valentine remembered that fateful day when he was finally able to meet Sephiroth the adult. He closed his eyes and gave a slight nod. "She was beautiful. Long brown hair down past her shoulders. The loveliest eyes, she had." He sighed at all of his memories as they began to wash over him. "Lucrecia." He whispered.

Sephiroth looked upon Vincent as a curiosity. He cocked his head to the side. "You've met her?"

Vincent wondered how to tell Sephiroth about his relationship with the woman that would later become his mother. "I met her a long time ago in a troubled town. She was a scientist." Vincent broke off and looked at Sephiroth. The white haired man was so intent on listening to his tale. Vincent's eyes met with Sephiroth's. "It's amazing how much you look like her. The shape of your face...so much like hers."

Leira noticed that the two men were trailing behind her. "I'll bet you Joe could kick your asses at a race, the way you two are flirting with each other! He'd run circles around the both of you!"

Vincent and Sephiroth eyed each other. "Did she say…?" asked the ex-Turk in shock.

The ex-Shinra general smiled at him and nodded.

Vincent smiled at him and put his right hand behind his head. "She does have a way with words, doesn't she?"

Sephiroth's smile widened. "She sure does."


	12. Rest In The Town Of Kalm

Controlling the birds was surprisingly easy. Their normally foul disposition was nonexistent. The gold chocobos were known not only for their all terrain abilities but for their speed as well. The Gold Saucer had set the birds in their own league because other chocobos had a hard time catching up with them.

Leira, Vincent, and Sephiroth rode side by side. Besides the occasional chatter, they rode in silence. Leira was unconscious during Reeve's last briefing so she was unaware of the Nibel creatures and their control over Sephiroth. She grasped the reigns in her hand as she stared at the surrounding lands. The pace they traveled was fair but it would still be a couple days before they reached Midgar.

Turks were not big on traveling by chocobo so this experience was quite to new to her. Vincent and Sephiroth both were very familiar with this mode of travel.

The Elite studied the faces of both men, as she traveled between them. She smiled when she realized how each man's personality fit their positioning. Sephiroth sat upright and stern. He would only look at her when he knew she was not glancing at him. His chocobo was on her left. When growing up in Junon without her parents Reeve had taught his niece that Evil always hovered on the left. Vincent, on the other hand was, to her right. Leira wondered about the thoughts that were occupying his mind. He only spoke when being addressed. It was quite a change from when they had first met in Rocket Town.

"Hey, Gil for your thoughts." Leira spoke up.

Vincent's cloak collar covered his smile as he responded to her question. "You have been nothing but trouble since the day I first laid eyes on you!"

Leira winked at him. "Thanks for being supportive…"

Sephiroth paid close attention to the small talk between the two, as they traveled along the surface of the ocean.

Once on land the three decided to stop in Kalm for an evenings rest. Neither one of them knew about the location of any inns in Midgar. The chocobos were tied to a nearby post while their heavy burdens were removed from their backs. A man with wild black hair and a green jacket helped them. Leira would have punched him repeatedly, had it not been for her companions' restraint. She did not need to know anymore about how to ride Chocobos or how to read a simple map.

The red headed man that greeted her and Yuffie was standing by the entrance to the inn. He smiled at her. Leira was comforted by him once again. She never thought to inquire about his name until this point. She was just about to ask him when she noticed his expression change rapidly. His face filled with nothing but dread as he nodded at her and ran off screaming, "The man in the black cape is still here!" To her surprise, no one in the immediate area was affected by his rants. Sephiroth shot her a brief questioning glance but decided to check out the local materia shop instead.

"Looks like he's going to pick up supplies." stated Vincent.

The two hauled their bags through the inn's wooden doors. "How may I help you?" asked the woman behind the check in desk.

"We'll need three rooms and a better place to rest our chocobos," said Leira as she fondled her money card.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, we only have two at the moment. Would two of you mind sharing a room? It's become a busy tourist season here, lately," said the brown haired girl at the counter.

Leira wrinkled her nose in disappointment. She was not sure whom she would feel more comfortable sharing a room.

"That's fine with me," said a voice. "I'll take the single." Sephiroth reached out and took the key to single room. He thanked the girl and swung his belongings over his shoulder. He did not bother to look back at his fellow party members.

Vincent was secretly happy about the arrangements. This gave him an opportunity to find out more about his female traveling companion. The two headed up the stairs after receiving their room key. Sephiroth found it hard to accept the fact that his lost love had grown so much physically and emotionally, since he had last seen her. He thought it would be best to sort out his feelings on his own.

As strange as it seemed they ended up in the room that Leira and Yuffie had shared almost months ago.

Vincent removed his cloak and sat down on a bed. He unfastened his cloak and promptly began to switch out his claw for the more human arm. "I'm amazed the he wanted to be by himself." He said as he twisted off the first attachment.

Leira gazed at the blackness of the uniform that Vincent wore underneath his cloak. She noticed that it was button down. Strangely enough, the pattern of buttons on her Elite uniform was almost identical to the pattern that decorated the dead man's clothing. She let the similarities go and sought out her handgun collection. She pulled out her Glock 21 and laid it in her lap. The shiny black plastic grip became the focus of her attention. She rolled the weapon over and over along her thighs.

"May I ask…?" Vincent inquired.

The Elite gawked at him for a second. Her lips parted in amusement

"…Is that the new sidearm for the Turks? A Glock?"

"Yeah, Tseng did his homework and found that the old nine millimeters were quickly outliving their usefulness. Rude told him that forty-five calibers were the new future for Shinra law enforcement. I think he just had a perverted fascination for the silver tip of the hollow points. Just something about raw stopping power makes his own bald head shine."

Leira lifted the gun into her hands and sat down beside Vincent. She handed it to him.

The ex-Turk held the small gun in his hands. The barrel of the gun was cold and heavy in his grip. He noticed the tiny serial number etched into the steel. He also noticed that the green safety light was on.

With the push of a button and the rapid flick of his wrist, he dropped the magazine. There were fifteen rounds chambered ranging from worst damage to lightest. The white ends of the rubber tip bullets at the bottom brought a smile to his lips. "Kill first ask questions later, I see."

Her face turned three shades of red. "Well, you can't be too careful." She took the gun from him and slid the clip back into place. She leaned against him and held it at a full arm's length. The Turk than lined up the tiny site so it was aimed at a bedside lamp. "It was a little top heavy for me at first, but than again, Mom left her AK-47 to me…after she died." Her voice grew insignificant as her hair slid over her face. Why did the past always have to ruin a pleasant occasion?

Daylight had begun to fade and Leira was still awake. Vincent spread himself out on his bed and slowly fell asleep. The Elite had fallen asleep beside him. Only a couple hours had passed, but during this time, she had been able to recall segments of another life.

Leira unconsciously put a hand to her forehead. She rolled onto her right side as her dreams continued.

_"TE: 65996: Midgar. This is going to be your new number while you work under me." The blonde haired girl smiled. _

_"What does that mean?"_ Lieandra could hear herself ask.

_Her new commanding officer pulled at her long golden braid and smiled. "Relax, it just means that you're the 65,996 member of a Shinra military branch. It's another way of saying that member 65,996 is now an Elite Turk who was originally stationed in Midgar."_

Sweat began to roll down her face. The images were relentless.

_Something had gone horribly wrong, and she knew it. Ecka was motionless propped against the white wall. Leira tried hard to stop the flow of blood from the girl's wound. A SOLDIER first class at sixteen. Just barely out of her teens. "Hold on, girl! Hold on!" Tears were flowing down her cheek as she tried to remember the chant to activate her restorative materia. _

_Sephiroth began to swipe away at his enemies. The whole situation seemed very familiar to him. His coat shuffled about him madly as he thrust Masamune through the chest cavity of one attacker and killed another with a blast of Ice 3. The fire around them was spreading and there was not much time to get out. _

_The last of the immediate enemies was dealt with but the price paid was harsh. Sephiroth surveyed the carnage silently. It was all too familiar…just different people. _

_"General we're trapped over here! I've been cursed too! I can't save her…" Leira's lip began to quiver as she pressed the black haired girl's face to her chest. "There's going to be more of them too! Leave me here with her! It's all my fault anyway! I have a strong frag grenade left! You go ahead and get out!"_

The general could hear her voice crack. This was the same way he lost his other family. He was caught in the moment. He could see the limp form of Tres Thompson lying in wife's lap in some kind of twisted pieta. "No." His voice was small as he tried to push the memories out of his head. "NO!" he shouted. The force of his words came straight from his gut. His weakened condition caused him to bend at the waist.

_Ecka began to convulse uncontrollably as a rafter fell from the ceiling. They were so close to the exit. Why had this mission become so difficult? _

_"Get out of here now!" Leira hollered. She did not want him to leave but she could not see any point in him staying. Ecka was near death and the Elite herself did not have the strength to run anymore. All she could think of to do was push the young SOLDIER's raven black bangs out of her face._ The two never got a long and she had caused the girl so many problems but she came back to save her anyway. Leira owed her life to the sixteen year old.

The Elite could feel Sephiroth's thoughts as if they were her own. She was becoming uncomfortable with this dream. The ex-Shinra general was like an open book. The pain that he must have been feeling at the possibility of losing her was almost too much to withstand.

Slowly her eyes opened. It was just some strange dream. Leira pulled herself up into a sitting position and removed herself from the bed.

She found herself wondering about what her target was up to. Silently, she exited the room and closed the door behind her. The humble hallway was beginning to darken as she headed to the front desk. She eased her way down the stairway to where the attendant was busily recording the evening's transactions.

"You had a man with long white hair take a single room earlier." Leira said softly.

"Yes?" said the brown haired attendant.

"Would you happen to know which room number he ended up with?"

When the clerk told Leira about Sephiroth's room location, she was on her way. Once at her destination, she knocked on the door.

"Come in." said a man's voice. "It's open"

Leira opened the door and entered the room. After closing the door behind her, she noticed that he had his back to her and was staring outside.

The remaining sunlight poured in from the inn's windows creating an orange light that cast a strange glow on its occupants. Leira folded her arms as he turned to face her. "I remember a little more now." She replied.

A glint of hopefulness appeared in his eyes. "Yes."

"Yes." She said slowly. "We are alike in many ways. The past…"

He grabbed her hands and held them in a gentle grip. "The past is the past. We are together again. For better or worse we are together again."

Leira's eyes focused on his. "After all that's happened, you still came back for me."

He nodded. "I had too. Our bond is a strong one." He paused for a couple seconds as he tried to gather his thoughts. "I…we don't belong here. Our fate lies somewhere else."

"We shared so much." Leira said at last. "I've come too realize what everything means. I'll be by your side."

Sephiroth's features softened as he listened to her words. "Are you sure?" he held her hands against his chest. He let go when she started to back them out of his grip.

"Our bond is a strong one." She said back to him. She reached into her shirt collar and removed her knife while her free hand unbuttoned her top revealing her soft silky skin. With the blade pointing towards him, she put it to her chest. "Ours has become deeper than a blood bond."

The blade gently caressed her chest as it moved from side to side. He only glanced down once as to watch her hand move. His eyes joined hers as she finally dug the knife into the skin above her right breast. The warm red blood began to seep out of the wound slowly.

She wondered what his reaction would be. He stared at her for what seemed like an eternity. Leira kept wondering if his mind was truly free of the Jenova creature's control.

_"Put her there!"_ said another ghost. There were only a handful of people that touched Leira's heart. One man in particular was Timal Klefmon. The two had been at each other's throats since they first met. Gradually a friendship blossomed and quickly turned into a romance. Despite his appearance, he held a great deal of his homeland's traditions sacred. Timal was from Wutai originally. Leira could remember extending her hand for him to shake. The look he had given her, that time, was almost one of betrayal but he still accepted it.

_"Y'know, in the country I'm from, we form our alliances by blood. There's nothing deeper than blood shared between two people." _

_Leira quickly noticed a scar on the man's face beneath his right ear. "Is that how you got that scar?" _

_Timal smiled and rubbed at the old wound. "Yeah, Navig did that. He is my cousin after all. Benton's got one in the same place, too." _

_Leira shook her head. "You guys are already blood relatives!" _

_Timal laughed at her. "Yeah we were drunk at the time…" He began to blush. _

A smile crossed Sephiroth's lips as he took her hand, with the knife still in its grip and pulled it towards him. "You've been around someone from Wutai haven't you? Someone besides Tseng, that is." His grip was gentle as he applied her knife to his own bare chest. The mark fell in the same place as hers. As his blood began to flow, he moved in and kissed her deeply.

The Elite broke from him and stared into his catlike eyes. "Where do we go from here?" She let his question slide. She still had memories of how her Wutai friend died.

Sephiroth blinked at her. "I have something to show you in Midgar."

"Midgar…why Midgar?" Leira absolutely hated Midgar. She searched her mind to try to find a reason to give him against paying the ruined city a visit. "Everything was destroyed. There's nothing but scrap metal there."

"You were there before you found me again. Did you ever think that maybe there was another motive for you being there?" Sephiroth said bluntly.

"I was looking for you." She frowned.

"I don't believe that."

He put his back to her. "It's because your past actually began in Midgar. Just as mine began in Nibelheim. Our paths didn't cross until Midgar."

"I was born in Junon." She said defensively. Leira grabbed his shoulder and spun him around.

"That's why we are heading to Midgar. You need to remember your past before you can understand your future. You may not understand it now but you will."

It was starting to get dark. The Elite wondered when he would want to begin his trek. As for herself, Leira wanted to get it started as soon as possible.

Sephiroth unbuckled the leather straps that crossed his chest. He gingerly pushed them aside and began to remove his arms from the sleeves of his long overcoat. "We leave in the morning. It's best to get some rest while you can."

For all of the trouble that she was put through, Leira had no idea why she was listening to him. She leaned against the tiny window side table. "Why don't we just go out there now?"

The long black coat fell to the ground. "Midgar is most active during the night. In your current condition, it's not wise to draw too much attention. I don't want to lose you again."


	13. Rudah The Junk Dealer

Leira thought about the true meaning…if there was one…behind her getting together with Sephiroth. Was it really some perverse approach of Hojo's to mate them in hopes of creating a god?

Sephiroth was silhouetted against the nighttime sky. "Go back to sleep."

Leira noticed his tone bore the familiar ring of disappointment. He behaved this way ever since Vincent decided to come along. This attitude of his seemed to support the coupling theory. She walked out of the room to be with Vincent and did not look back. She never noticed the general's fixed stare on the outside.

Sephiroth sighed as he stared out through his window at a man covered in black. "I need more time." At those words, a shiny white light gleamed for an instant and disappeared as the figure nodded and walked into the concealing night air.

The sound of the door slowly creaking open was enough to wake Vincent from his sleep. He pulled a handgun out from underneath his pillow and took aim at the person who entered.

"Whoa, it's just me!" Leira smiled stretching her hands high above her head.

Vincent returned the gun to its resting place and approached her. "What happened to you?" He noticed the dried blood and semi-opened gash on her chest.

Cautiously she lowered her hands and looked at her wound. "It's just a promise that I made to myself and someone else."

"That wouldn't happen to be Sephiroth would it?" Vincent asked with a hint of skepticism.

"I need a shower," she said as she brushing against him as she passed. Leira peeled off her uniform and started a hot shower. "Can you find some dressings for this?"

"Do you think you'll need stitches?" Vincent was growing concerned. "I'm good with treating most types of wounds."

Leira stepped into the shower and stuck her head out. "You pervert." She returned to her cleansing.

"What did I…?" Vincent blushed as he remembered where her gash was located. "I only meant that as…"

"I know. If anything, I don't want it to close. Hopefully, it will leave a nice scar."

"Why?" Vincent found himself hanging on her words.

"I had a friend-big on symbolism. You've heard of spit brothers before right?"

Vincent nodded. "Yes."

"Well, this friend of mine was from Wutai. I guess over there they took friendships just a little more seriously than other people."

"They cut each other like that." Vincent suddenly had an image of Yuffie trying to slash him with a knife.

"I don't know if it's all of them…I just know that this guy sure did, and so did his cousin."

Vincent searched through his bags and found some white bandages. As soon as she was out of the shower, he helped her wrap her wound tightly. He tried so hard not to stare at her chest. Leira tried hard not to laugh at him.

After wrapping her hair in a towel, the Turk pulled an oversized nightshirt on and lie down on her bed.

"Did you talk to Sephiroth?" Vincent asked.

"Yes." Lieandra said simply.

"I wouldn't doubt he told you about what we are supposed to be doing in the morning."

"I guess we're going to Midgar."

"Midgar?!" He thought to himself. His curiosity was piqued but he decided to wait until morning to hear it from the ex-Shinra general himself. "What is it about Sephiroth that draws you to him?"

The Elite was not prepared for that question. "What was that?" She remembered him voicing his concerns about Cloud too.

"I'm sure it isn't curiosity that draws you to him." The ex-Turk continued.

Leira often wondered about it herself. If he were just a curiosity like Vincent suggested she would not have gone this far for him. "You're really the jealous type aren't you?" she smiled and looked at her fingernails.

Vincent felt his cheeks begin to warm. "I just don't like to wait for answers…that's all."

"Didn't Reeve tell you that I was supposed to be made into Sephiroth's sex slave…or something like that…" She paused and checked her toenails. "He is a gorgeous guy and all. That long sexy hair and killer bod. Who could refuse someone like that? I can tell that you make him uncomfortable too. Don't worry though. I'm really just in this to finish up my job for Tseng and to get back at him for killing everyone that I've been close to."

Vincent suddenly realized Leira was not told about the Nibelheim creatures. "Reeve said you two had a history together."

The Turk sat upright at his remark. "How did you know?"

"It was part of a briefing…you were unconscious…"

Leira suddenly recalled a couple of her dreams. "I guess we were but I can assure it was long before he killed…" Faces started to appear in her head. A man with flame red hair and blue eyes, a man with short black hair and brown eyes, a woman with long blonde hair, Rufus Shinra, a man with black spiky hair, a little girl with short hair, Tseng…what were these faces? She wrapped her hands around her face.

Vincent leaned forward. "Are you alright?"

"I feel like I've got a bad hangover, all of a sudden…" She removed the towel from her hair and walked into the bathroom. "Was there a reason why you asked me about Sephiroth?"

"Not really." he lied. With a yawn, Vincent stretched out and slowly went to sleep. Leira watched him relax and after a few minutes, she joined the dead man's slumber.

The Turk was suddenly walking down a long hallway. She stopped in her tracks. There was a woman standing with her back to her. The long golden brown braid was quite pretty. The girl suddenly spun around. Leira glanced at her shiny Turk issue shoes and her dark blue trouser legs. The formal Elite uniform worn by this other person was quite form fitting. Leira could not help but stare at this woman's curves.

__

"You'll never guess what's happened to this old girl!" The braided woman drawled.

She felt herself answer uneasily. "What?" Her transfer was only a couple days away.

"I'm in love!" She grabbed Leira by the shoulders. "He's great! He seems to be genuinely interested in the Elite project. You don't know how good it is to have that type of backing. Have you seen him fight yet?!"

Leira was frozen. Whom was she talking about? Who was this person period?

The three set out the next morning for their Midgar expedition. Traveling by chocobo from Kalm to Midgar lasted only a couple hours. Vincent pulled his cloak tighter. He could not believe this other world existed in the place he and Cid used for scrap. Sephiroth and Leira both seemed unfazed. The dead man watched them travel on ahead. He tried not to let it bother him.

"You do know what we're supposed to be looking for?" Leira asked Sephiroth with uncertainty.

"There should be evidence of some sort left over. Meteor couldn't have destroyed everything." Sephiroth said as he let his eyes slide over to Vincent.

Leira blinked. "Evidence? That sounds like a long shot. I know where there's a junk dealer close by. I never thought to ask him about anything concerning Shinra. His prices are rather steep though...we might end up losing fingers or something."

Sephiroth raised his white eyebrows at the thought of losing limbs. He was also surprised at how resourceful Leira became.

Vincent came up beside them. "Just what is it you hope to find?" He asked Sephiroth with a hint of distrust.

Sephiroth ignored him and kept walking.

Leira shook her head and continued. The last time she visited the junk shop she was vaguely remembered a large file cabinet. It reminded her of one Hojo kept in his offices.

The two men were quick to catch up with her. They followed Leira through huge canyons of towering wreckage. There were small-unmarked graves lining the walls. Meteor and Holy had claimed so many lives. To walk through the aftermath and be emotionless was impossible.

Sephiroth and Vincent stared in awe at the sights before them. Leira could have cared less. She had been revisiting the ruins for a number of months. They reached an area consisting of part slum and part plate. Neither of the three could decipher which sector they were in.

"Whoops." Leira's foot became tangled in an old cable that ran across the ground. Her legs became so tired from walking she was unable to keep her balance.

Vincent ran to her aid but Sephiroth was there first. The slender man in black caught her by the wrist and wrapped his other arm around her waist pressing her body tightly to his. His cat like eyes stared right into hers. "You alright?"

Vincent stood his ground coldly and tried not to let the son of his lost love anger him.

"Oh, my! What a sight for sore eyes, doll face!" said a gruff elderly voice.

Leira looked at Sephiroth and blushed. His hold on her was making her feel warm. "I'm fine." She said redirecting her eyes to the ground. Sephiroth nodded and released her.

"Hey, Rudah. How's it going?" Leira asked regarding the tiny old man.

Rudah wore a red shirt with a black back brace. His old blue jeans showed years worth of wear and tear. His skin was surprisingly healthy looking despite several wrinkles. The old man stroked his long braided white beard and huffed. "You always seem to make the strangest friends."

"I'll say." Vincent growled softly to himself.

"This is the junk dealer I was telling you about," said Leira outstretcung a hand.

"Actually I like to refer to them as lost antiquities." he smiled and scratched the back of his baldhead.

"His name's Rudah. He was a salesman for Shinra until he got fired." Leira pointed out.

"Speaking of antiquities." He marched up to the white haired man. "Isn't that Sephiroth?" The junk dealer began to rub his chin as he stared up at the former Shinra general. He grabbed the man's wrist and checked for a pulse through the tall man's thick black gloves. "Anything you want, the price just doubled! Just business is all. Never expected to see this guy in person."

Leira's jaw hit the floor. Sephiroth and Vincent both glared at the four foot eleven inch man. "What was that?!" she stammered.

"I'm sure he's got tons of money. All that fame!" Rudah could see nothing but huge amounts of Gil lining his pockets. "It's been hard to make a living here but that's what you get while hoping to come across a walking gold mine, I guess."

Sephiroth smiled. Apparently, this man was unaware he died and was resurrected after meteor and holy hit. He was still alive but his popularity was not the same as it had been so many years ago.

"By the way," asked the old man, "What is it you're wanting?"

"We're looking for some papers...or anything that Hojo might have kept concerning experiments," said Sephiroth as he let his smile drop.

"That's impossible!" spat Vincent. Leira pushed Valentine and the junk dealer aside and glared into Sephiroth's eyes. "Hojo destroyed all his work after he quit! Everyone knows that!" she growled and pushed a finger into Sephiroth's chest.

Vincent and Leira were so caught up with what Sephiroth said; they did not notice Rudah saunter.

"Here we are!" shouted the ex-Shinra employee. He wheeled out a huge rusted file cabinet.

Leira spun around after she noticed Sephiroth grinning from ear to ear. Vincent puzzled over the large metal box. He noticed several keyholes in each red orange drawer. "I'd assume all the doors are locked."

"Yep. Just wanted to take a few souvenirs after I got the shaft. Got no keys for it, though. Got tired of trying to crack it open so figured I'd sell it." Rudah shrugged.

Sephiroth placed his gloved hands on the cabinet. "This is just what we need." His sudden confidence made Vincent uneasy. "How much do you want for it?"

The junk dealer cocked his head to the side thoughtfully. "How much you got?"

"Well, we've got materia that's fully mature." said Leira.

Rudah laughed. "No one that lives in this place has spirit enough to use materia. You got money, right?"

Leira turned to her fellow party members.

"We need this gil for supplies!" Vincent growled.

"My employers just keep me alive." Sephiroth put in with a touch of humor.

"Hey, Rudah. You don't take plastic do you?!" Leira remarked.

"Come on, girl. You know better than to ask me that."

"The only other thing we have besides our supplies are..." Several loud "Warks" interrupted Vincent.

The three gold chocobos broke loose and somehow managed to find their owners.

The birds were not the only ones that had arrived. Four masked bandits tailed them.

"Well, lookee 'ere boy's if it ain't the chick from before." gestured one of the bandits.

"I remember that chicky well, Grubs," said another bandit. "She doesn't have the kid with her this time so she should be easy pickins."

The masked bandits lined up shoulder to shoulder. Their eyes seemed to contain nothing but white. Tanned muscles bulged through tears in their clothes.

Rudah picked up an old piece of pipe from off the ground. "You guys go. I'll stay her and try to ward them off!" He swung the crowbar from left to right.

Sephiroth covered his face in his hand and tried not to let his impressions of the old man show.

Vincent took out Death Penalty and rotated it in his hand. He did not care about the old man. He just wanted to save his curiosity, Leira, from any harm.

Leira crossed her arms underneath her chest. "You guys are really insulting me! I'm surprised that you found me at all!" she laughed and cracked her knuckles. "Thinking I need a kid to kick your asses..."

"Tell you what?" Rudah said. "You guys kick some ass and I'll cut the price down."

Vincent's mouth hung open as he tried not to insult the old man. Leira leaned against him and put a finger to his lips. "If you argue with him now we'll never get the damn thing." she kissed the top of her fingernail before she removed it. "Rudah, you got yourself a deal." Leira tilted her head towards the thugs while keeping her back to them. "You're going to wish you never saw me."

Vincent removed Death Penalty. He was craving a fight for a while now.

Sephiroth lowered his head and let his hands drop to his sides. His eyes focused on the new threat and exuded a cold glow.

Leira was not fond of waiting for an attack so she ran and ducked a punch thrown by a thug. Her body arched to one side as she slammed her fist into an open palm and swung her right elbow into his midsection. Her long brown hair looked like nails as it followed her movement.

The thug ended up in a half turn as his stance became distorted. His left arm went out as he tried to balance himself. From behind, her next victim was waiting. To help him on his way to the dirt Leira delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to his throat. "One down." she muttered as she put her right thumb to her nose and raked it across the tip. A crunch of metal gave away the man behind her. She pivoted and swung out her left hand grabbing him by the throat. She bumped her body against his, slammed her forehead into his, and pushed him away with a right hand to the solar plexus.

Rudah dropped his weapon and glared at Sephiroth. He was not sure if he was seeing things or not.

Another punch was thrown from someone new. "Can't you guys do anything else?" she wondered. She snatched his hand between hers and drew him into a harsh flat back-fist to the side of his face.

With blinding momentum, Leira dropped herself to the ground and swept the man's legs out from underneath. "Sorry, Grubs. You've been canceled." She drew out her Glock and did not even bother to aim it. The Elite knew she would not miss.

BLAM!

One shot between the eyes insured that Grubs would not be causing any more problems. The fourth man was starting to feel sick. Grubs' corpse fell less than a foot away from him. He had the unsavory privilege of watching the crater in his friends head begin to ooze. "I got one too, bitch!" he shrieked and pulled a handgun out of his back pocket.

Vincent took note of the turn of events and aimed his weapon. "I've got a clear shot," he said to no one in particular.

"No you don't." Sephiroth removed Masamune from its sheath in his coat and used it to lower the former Turk's weapon.

"He's got a gun!" Vincent pushed.

"What's your point? So does she."

The dead man could not believe the attitude of the Elite's former general. Leira, however, was amused at the change. Her eyes closed in thought and a wry smile quickly unfolded. "Good!" she shouted and she sent her side arm flying toward her opponent.

Sephiroth closed his eyes as well. It was good to see that she was not completely dependent on guns.

The black Glock flew end over end knocking the man's weapon from his hand. All he could do was watch the it hit its mark and fall to the ground. Should he bend down and pick it up? Should he find another weapon?

The Elite was not about to let him explore any more options.

Sephiroth covered his face with his hand and began to laugh. His body shook with each hearty guffaw.

"What's gotten into you?!" Vincent could not grasp the situation.

Sephiroth looked like he was about to cry when he finally lifted his head. "She was just getting warmed up too…!" he managed to let out before going back into hysterics.

Leira shook a finger at her attacker as he stooped down to reclaim his weapon. She kicked it out of the way and seized the back of his head with her hands. "Nighty night!" Her supple lips never lost their smile. She pulled the back of his neck down and slammed him into her elevated right knee. Like a rag doll, she threw his limp form behind her.


	14. Closer To The True Past

"It's all yours," said Rudah. "To show my gratitude, I'm gonna let you off easy!" A wide hearty smile showed the blackened gaps between his teeth. "I'll take one of your birds," he pointed. "I'll even grant you a room for the night. If you stay any longer it will be a bird a night."

"What?!" blurted out Sephiroth.

Vincent folded his arms. It seemed funny for Sephiroth to suddenly show any type of emotion or concern. Leira just stood her ground. Her expression was like stone. "That's fine. Show us the way and wheel it to our room." She tossed a hand to the side and turned toward a rubble heap.

The two party members were confused. Neither of them had any idea what had brought about her sudden cold nature.

"Where's she going?" asked Sephiroth.

"Oh," answered Rudah. "She's heading for the little love nest I call home." His foul smile made Sephiroth look the other way.

The man in black followed her.

Leira was caught up on herself. The debris piles reached skyward. It was amazing that a large percentage of the sky was visible. Because of the pollution, it was grayish in color, but that did not stop her wonderment. Clouds panned the air above her. She thought to herself about the many territories of Midgar that she had covered on foot. A sign appeared attached to a rubble heap. The paint was aged and peeling. She laughed to herself when she finally was able to recognize it.

_"Let me get this straight…"_ This job was one that she had never intended to volunteer for. _"You want me to do what?!" _

_Jody tried hard not to laugh. He was happy that his face was hidden beneath his helmet. "Norelliies wanted me to accompany you on your mission. She likes to assign tests." _

_She tilted her head. "This is all a test?! Don Corneo is a test?!" _

_Jody started to choke as he tried to stop himself from laughing. The exasperation on her face was more than he could stomach. He had never seen a woman's face turn so many shades of red before. _

_Leira had never seen his face before but, suddenly, she found herself wishing for the opportunity to plunge her fist into it. "I read his files while I was a Turk! The man's a pig! He's like Palmer on acid!" The head of the Space Department brought several ill memories to her mind. _

_Turk Elite Jody let out a huge laugh before finally shaking his head at her. "Listen, kiddo, you wanna make it as one of the big boys, you gotta play like one!" _

_"He's a fucking pimp!" Leira spat as a reminder to him. _

_Jody suddenly found himself looking at his trainee in a different light. His eyes focused on her feet and moved upward slowly as he secretly savored every inch of her tanned skin. _

_"You do know who my uncle is?!" She cursed and waved a fist. _

_"Of course I do, ma'am." The Elite second class found himself regretting that he had been married for six years. _

_The woman before him was dressed in a black balconette top and a tiny black mini skirt. A silk mint and white striped covering just barely covered the fullness of her breasts. Three clear plastic buttons were the only thing that held the covering together. A long tuxedo-like tail extended from the skimpy over clothing. Her nine-inch white patent high heels were killing her feet. "Can we just go ahead and call it a day?" she said shortly. The thick black beehive wig had long bangs that were affecting her eyesight. She flicked at it every five seconds in what seemed to be a losing battle. _

Almost eight years later, Leira picked up the sign. "Honeybee Inn." she whispered. Of course, it was not the main sign to the infamous bordello. This particular advertisement was a marker to let any visitors know how much farther they had to travel. The Elite threw the sign back into the pile of waste.

"The memories really are coming back to you." An audibly masculine sigh came forth. "I heard that Norelliies put you on watch in the Wallmarket area." He put his hands on her shoulders and tapped his fingers.

"Who is Norelliies?" she screamed to herself. She turned to the man in black. "Whatever."

Vincent decided to make his presence known. "Rudah gave me the room key!"

Sephiroth scowled and crossed his arms. His aquamarine eyes narrowed noticeably.

The three entered the room that the junk dealer had set aside.

The accommodations were not anything to really brag about. It had two beds and one chair. Two huge squares filled with aging concrete filled spaces that Leira had guessed used to be windows. All in all, it seemed clean enough. The bedclothes had a fresh scent to them and were white.

Sephiroth unbuckled his shoulder guards and removed the attached long black coat. He sat in the small wooden chair and let his legs out to his sides.

Vincent followed Sephiroth's example and removed his scarlet cloak. After removing his head wrappings, too, he looked about him suspiciously.

After several minutes of silence, Leira spoke out. "So this is what's left of Wallmarket…?"

As hard as they found it to believe, it was true. The marketing capital of Midgar was crushed beneath the fabled floating city.

A knock interrupted the solitude. Rudah did not bother to wait for a reply. He flung open the door and wheeled in the prize. "Just want you to know that I've already picked out a chocobo! Here's you cabinet." With a finger placed to the side of his nose, the junk dealer departed.

Sephiroth closed the door. "Are you sure he can be trusted? What if this is just a ploy of his? What if there's nothing of importance in there?"

"Do we even know that this belonged to Hojo in the first place?" added Vincent.

The Elite only heard their voices as she dropped to her knees and simultaneously raised her hands high above her head. Both middle fingers were extended. The old file cabinet seemed like a gold mine to her.

For all her effort, Leira could not pry it open. Vincent put his hand on her shoulder. "We'll take it from here."

The two men gripped the rusted file cabinet by the handle and pulled as hard as they could. The metal had become fused. Vincent finally gave up while Sephiroth stepped forward and drew Masamune. He wedged the tip of his blade into the tiny gap between the lower drawer and the rest of the cabinet. The ex general prayed that his blade would not break as he tried to gain access to it.

Sweat began to pour down his head. Finally, a drawer slid open. There were hundreds of folders. They ranged in thickness. All looked the same on the outside. Their manila colored tabs were unmarked.

"A man of many complexities." huffed Sephiroth as he slouched and placed his hands on his knees. His breaths were hard and heavy as they filled his lungs.

Leira elbowed him in the leg as the ex Turk sat on the floor in front of them. He scratched at the bridge of his nose and began to leaf through the files.

"You know what you're doing right?" asked the Elite beside him. She could see his lips moving but was not quite sure what he was saying. She leaned in so that her ears were level with his.

In a husky voice, "eenie, meanie, minie, moe…" could be heard as he let his fingers shuffle through the documents in front of him.

Vincent finally pulled out a piece of paper, after much deliberation. The loss of one of the gold chocobos was still bothering him. The scorched paper was gripped tightly in his right hand. It contained a list of names. The order of the names was not in alphabetical order but by some other order. Almost all the pertinent information had burn marks through it...and black marker? "Strife, Cloud...experiment C, Zack" Many of the names were unreadable and incomplete because of the aging of the papers, "experiment Z," he continued, "...Neidlictzech, Norelliies...Klefmon, Timal..." Vincent read the names aloud.

Leira gasped at the last name. Suddenly memories of her former friend from SOLDIER came rushing to her. The other names bothered her as well. Was that the same "Norelliies" Sephiroth had been talking about earlier?

Vincent had paused in his reading to make sure she was all right.

"It's okay...I'll be fine." Leira prompted. She was half expecting to hear her name next.

Vincent continued. "Thompson, Lieandra J..." He looked up from his paper at her.

The Elite was in total shock. Her skin had gone completely white. "What is that list?! What did you just read?!"

"There are other names on that paper…I'm sure it's a rather old document." Vincent and Leira gawked at Sephiroth as he spoke. His arms were crossed conceitedly and his eyes shut. It almost looked like he was overtaken with boredom.

"I can't read them!" shot Vincent.

"Yes. Yes. I figured as much. That's fine. I can recite them all by heart, anyway."

Leira could not tolerate the general's cockiness. She jumped to her feet and stood before him. Her fingers clenched tightly at her sides. Her elbows and knees were bent. She leaned in and spread her ankles. She tried to keep herself from attacking the white haired man.

"What did he read?! If you know everyone on that paper, why didn't you tell me in the first place?!" The Elite's voice was ridden with anger. "How many more secrets do you have?!"

Time seemed to stand still. Sephiroth's eyes fluttered for an instant as he tried to come up with an appropriate answer. With lightning reflexes, he extended a hand and grabbed her by the upper arm, pulling her body closer to his. She tried not to show how frightened she was by glancing down at the brownness of the earth beneath her feet. "I wanted you to hear…no…SEE things for YOURSELF. You fit into this grand design of Hojo's perfectly, along with several others! These subjects all had numbers…even you! In some shape or form they were all related to SOLDIER as well."

Vincent straightened and tore her from his grasp with his claw. "Give her a break! How would you feel after finding your name on a mad man's list?"

"How would I feel? That's a strange question?" Sephiroth snatched the page out of the ex-Turk's hand. "There is a title to this page. My name happens to be in it. 'Plausible Sephiroth Clones,' I believe, is the name for this particular document." His fingers tapped madly against the paper causing it to ripple with each strike.

A chord struck the dead man. Flashes of memories bombarded him all at the same time. Black cloaked figures in the town of his death, Nanaki being known as RED XIII, Cloud having a hidden number…

"…numbers…" Vincent mumbled to himself. "What do numbers have to do with anything?"

Clones? Sephiroth clones? Were all those names just clones? Was Leira herself a Sephiroth clone? The room began to spin as she tried to understand everything. She collapsed against Vincent. "They can't be clones…I can't be a clone…" she whispered as Vincent laid her out on the nearest bed.

Sephiroth's eyes closed as he turned his head away from the others. "What makes you say that?" His tone was filled with disinterest. "You really have no idea how far Hojo's cloning projects went do you?" The general's menacing green eyes fell upon Vincent. "Mr. Valentine, did you know that you were the spear head for certain aspects of my father's research?"

Several thoughts and emotions enveloped Vincent Valentine. Sephiroth was aware that Hojo was his father. So, he also knew about Hojo's experiments on the ex-Turk. He fought hard to play it off as calmly as he could. "What experiments would those be?"

Leira curled into a fetal position. The words of her childhood friend, if he were indeed that, would not stop echoing.

Sephiroth crossed his legs and swung his head back to gaze at the ceiling. "I might have said too much." He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward with an evil grin. "Your arm for instance. Hojo was quite an expert on DNA and cloning. He used the cutting off of your arm as an example to collect tissue from corpses. There are several bodies that underwent this treatment. You'll find a map in the cabinet as well as another draft of names."

Vincent stood in front of Sephiroth and glanced behind at the file cabinet. His blood red eyes came back to rest on him again. "Does this have anything to do with the Nibelheim creatures?"

"Huh?" The Turk Elite found herself at a lack for words. "Nibelheim creatures?"

The men stared into each other's eyes. The hatred they both felt for one another was even more evident than before. "She wasn't briefed on that topic was she?"

Leira sat up and looked at Vincent. The former Turk seemed to be hiding his anger. "Reeve still kept it a secret…?" Vincent could not bear to look at her.

"Small wonder!" chided Sephiroth. "Imagine learning that everything you lived for was someone else's dream!"

Leira was beginning to break down. "That can't be right…"

The two men ignored her as they continued with their squabbling.

"Hojo had planned to use some of your DNA as a stepping stone. He decided that because you were also interested in my mother, it would be more fun to mess with you and damn you for the rest of your unnatural life, later on." Sephiroth was on his feet.

Vincent's lips curled back revealing his teeth. His anger was beginning to overtake him. "I don't believe this!" he growled.

"Okay, I've had enough!"

Before either man could utter another word, Vincent was pushed onto the bed Leira had been occupying. The ex-Turk struggled hard to maintain a sitting position as a pointer finger poked into the soft spot beneath his chin. Sephiroth had also been pushed backwards into his chair. Leira was the only one that stood tall. She drew her hands into fists. "I am nobody's clone!" she hissed. "I'm sure there's another reason why my name is on there!"

Vincent put his hands to his throat in shock. In the brief time that her finger had been there, Leira managed to draw a tiny amount of blood from him.

"There is." Sephiroth smiled. "I just wanted to make sure you were awake."

Irate was not the right word to describe her attitude. "You've got my attention! Now what?!"

The bare chested man stood up only to lean against the nearest wall. "There's more to that file cabinet than just that one page. I'm sure if you look hard enough you'll find another list with a map stapled to it. You need only look as far as that same folder." His head lowered allowing his long hair to slide over his shoulders and hide his face.

Before Leira could say anything, Vincent was on his knees and searching for the folder. "I've got it," he said as he lifted it out of the bottom drawer. He gently set it down on the ground and opened it.

The beaten off white folder contained several old photographs of people and monsters. Each picture had a number stenciled on it. There were no names. The majority of the faces were unrecognizable because of water damage, mold, sunlight, and time. There were at least sixty pictures in all.

Leira grabbed up the photographs as Vincent continued to flip though the papers. She wondered if she would be able to recognize any of them. Her memory was definitely on the mend.

The dead man found the document that Sephiroth had described. He instantly noticed red dots located next to certain places on the map. Each bright marker led to several different locations throughout the world. The highest concentration seemed to be in the doomed city itself, Midgar. "I take it that each point is a burial ground."

"I take it you're right." huffed Sephiroth.

Leira heard Vincent's burial ground comment and suddenly flipped through the pictures faster. They were all dead?! She looked back at both men. "Wait a minute…" her eyes fell on a familiar face. The large blue eyes and short black hair took her by surprise. "Ecka…" she murmured.

The picture was clenched tightly in her hands. It was obvious that it was old. The girl appeared as she did the last time Leira had seen her almost ten years ago. When the two had first met, Shinra officers were escorting the girl to a detention center. The transformation that the child made upon her release twenty days later was incredible. The former wild child with red tangled hair and hazel eyes had been replaced by the figure that stared out at her. It was amazing to see how the girl's new look reminded her of the little ninja Yuffie.

"I had a dream about her. I was cradling her in my arms…" Leira put a finger between her lips.

Vincent stood up with the map still in his hands. His concern was growing.

"The building was burning around us…why am I suddenly remembering her? Have I met her before?" Her confusion was making her feel silly. She walked to a far corner of the room and continued to stare at the picture.

"That wouldn't happen to be of a girl from Norelliies' unit would it? What was her name…?" Sephiroth wandered over to her. "SOLDIER First Class…she was one of the youngest. I believe her name was Trabian Ecklarkaj. Everyone called her Ecka during those days."

"She was in SOLDIER." Leira had tried to keep the thought to herself but was too caught up in this strange history lesson.

"She was. Only sixteen, too, I might add. Tough as nails for a little girl. She was part of Norelliies' unit until her transfer to my command."

Vincent listened to the talk between the two. He looked at the list and than at Sephiroth. "SOLDIER First Class Ecka…number seventeen. According to the map, she's not buried to far from here. She's actually one of several."

"She's dead! Did she die in that building?"

Sephiroth parted his lips in a toothy white smile. "No. She died at a later time." He was so close to the confused Leira. He leaned his face over her shoulder and whispered into her ear. "I killed her myself."

The Elite spun to look at him. Her eyebrows twitched with uncertainty as she looked into his cold eyes. His voice seemed to be without remorse. She could not believe that this was the same man she believed to be her childhood friend.

The former general spoke softly into her ear. "I'll take you to her resting place. I'll show all of them to you."

"How do you know all this?!" asked Vincent.

"I have my resources," said Sephiroth as if he were spelling each word out to him.

"Wait a minute! I'm hearing another name besides this Ecka…Who is Norelliies?" Leira had meant to ask but Vincent had beaten her to it.

"I'll show you tomorrow." Sephiroth waved a hand at them and lie down on a bed. He reached behind him and stroked the long sword behind him. "Resurrection takes a lot out of you, if you haven't slept for days. Good night." With that, his eyes closed and he let out a long yawn.

"Is it me or has his attitude changed drastically since we got here." Vincent was lying on the bed across from the one Sephiroth was occupying. "He seems to have gotten colder…if that's possible."

The room was dark now. As they rested, Leira shared the bed with Vincent. She found it hard to look at him so her back was facing him. The ex-Turk's revelation was something that she had noticed as well.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. "What's it like to relive all these memories you never knew you had?" Vincent was genuinely curious. Sections of his long black hair rolled down his shoulders and covered his neck.

"It hurts." Leira whispered. "I still don't recognize any of them…but I feel like I can trust them. I feel guilty too…"

"Guilty?" The dead man questioned.

She sighed before she rolled over to look at him. "Yeah. When you read those names, I only remembered a couple of them. Nevertheless, I knew who they were. To know that they're all dead…I didn't even know…"

"Does it have anything to do with that Ecka girl?"

"From what I remember she was only sixteen. I remembered how she looked. As soon as I saw the picture, I knew who she was. How could he kill someone that young?" her voice grew softer as it started to break.

"He's still the same man that slaughtered a whole village of innocents. You do remember Nibelheim don't you?" Vincent's tone was harsh but Leira did pick up a hint of understanding in his words.

She folded her arms over her chest as she continued to lie on her side. "You're right." She muttered.

"Were you close to the girl?" he asked.

Leira suddenly caught a flash of a person flying at her and knocking her to the ground. _"YOU STUPID BITCH!" was being shouted at her. This person was short and dressed in a battle scarred SOLDIER uniform. The person ripped off their helmet and threw it at her. It just missed her head by an inch. The SOLDIER was ranting something and began to slap her around with a bloody, shrapnel encrusted arm. That same SOLDIER had short black hair and large angry blue eyes. A black spiky haired man was trying to pull this belligerent girl off her. "Ecka, Ecka, it's okay! Everyone's alive! I'm okay! Ecka, Ecka, DOWN GIRL!"_

Leira managed to force a grin as she peered into her bedmates red eyes. "I somehow doubt that we were the best of friends."

The dead man began to relax under her smile. It was soothing to know that she was still capable of that expression.

"Do you…"

"Huh?"

Leira tried to think of a way to phrase her next question. "Do you remember everything? What are your memories like?"

Vincent found himself smiling too. "They're nothing. They're just pictures from a long ago past."

"What about her…What about Lucrecia?" Leira's eyes moved down to her naked toes. She was not sure how this curiously peaceful man would react.

The ex-Turk put his hand beneath her chin and gently pulled her face to his. "I think it's time we both rested." He kissed her forehead and rolled onto his other side.

"I guess you're right." The Elite thought to herself before she too finally fell asleep.


	15. Trapped!

In the morning, Sephiroth sought out Rudah for information on how the group might get a shower. A hooded figure bumped into him as he stepped out of the shelter. Sephiroth looked down at the person. He almost towered over him. The man's head was almost level with his chest. The shroud of the figure slowly lifted and he became aware that his gaze was being returned. The general was unable to see a face beneath the large hood. Strips of metal poked out of the shadows that concealed the man's identity. "A mask perhaps." Sephiroth muttered.

"Out of my way!" the man shouted in a low husky voice. The figure put its tiny black gloved hands against his chest and forcefully pushed him to the side. Upon examination, Sephiroth first thought that the group responsible for his second chance at life had found him but relaxed when he noticed the cloak of the rude person was shredded and gray. The hooded man seemed to be in quite a hurry as he stomped away.

"What can I do for you, sir?" yelled Rudah from several feet away. He was waving an arm around excitedly.

Sephiroth looked back at the rude man that had shoved him. The pace seemed to be inhuman as it navigated a heap of scrap metal. Within seconds, he was gone.

Rudah strode up to him. "Don't mind him. He's just a local here."

"Not very friendly is he."

"Nah," agreed Rudah, "He comes around every so often for a drug that I got from your file cabinet…wasn't expecting to find that kind of thing in there. Hojo had the papers on it and everything. It's highly addictive but it's a great pain reliever if you've undergone major internal surgery or amputations. Lots of people were put on it when Shinra was big. This guy, he knew about me being fired and found me a few years ago. Poor sucker doesn't know that another drug was made four years ago that has less than half of the addictive qualities…"

"Anything for some quick gil." said Sephiroth as he shook his head.

"Wouldn't have it any other way! Funny thing is though…that guy saw your chocobos and suddenly struck up a conversation. That was weird. He usually just asks about my supply and hands me some Gil…don't know how he comes up with it…but what do I care."

"What did he want to know?" Sephiroth rubbed his chin with his index finger.

"That'll cost you extra. I will tell you though that as soon as he saw you, he grabbed those tablets and couldn't wait to leave. That guy has a nasty streak a mile wide. He got pissed at me when I shorted him a pill. That's how I got this…." he pointed to his old back brace. "He's tiny but damn, look out!"

The questions were mounting as Sephiroth began to ponder the identity of the hooded man. "Have you ever seen his face? Do you even know if that really is a man underneath that hood?"

Rudah thought to himself for a minute. He rubbed at his balding head. "Nope. Never seen his face. I figured that it had to be a guy since he tossed me a good four feet into my little waterfall."

A smirk lit up the white haired man's face as he caught a mental image of Leira fighting with the thugs from the day before. He decided to leave the junk dealer to his own impressions.

"You didn't originally want to ask me about that guy did you?" asked Rudah as he cocked an eyebrow.

Sephiroth told him about wanting to find a place to shower off and maybe get something to eat.

"Why would you want to know that?" The old man asked.

Sephiroth was about to answer, when the junk dealer gave a black-toothed smile. "I know. I know, chief. There's an open shower out back."

"Open?" the former Shinra general was clearly puzzled.

"Yeah," Rudah reached underneath his dirty red and black plaid flannel shirt and scratched at his stomach. "It's more like a broken pipe that has constantly running water. I dug up the ground around it to make it look like a waterfall flowing into a lake. Make it look romantic like, ya know" His voice sounded almost sentimental.

Sephiroth crossed his arms and realized what the man had been implying. He was suddenly confronted with a memory of his own. He covered his face with a hand and let out a huge laugh. He wondered if Leira would share the same case of déjà vu.

Rudah watched the man's face turn red with each guffaw. Sephiroth was known throughout Shinra for his rather awkward style of laughing…when he did laugh.

"How much are you going to charge for this luxury?" he asked the junk dealer while he began to calm down.

"I'm hurt." Rudah lied. "As long as you guys don't take forever, I'll let you guys shower for free…because, it's Leira and all…I'll even throw in a couple bottles of champagne as a going away present."

Why was he being so kind all of a sudden? Sephiroth could not understand it. After a short pause, he thanked the man and walked around to the back.

There was indeed a hole in the ground filled with water. It looked like it was large enough to accommodate three grown people at the same time. A long metal pipe stuck up from the ground about ten feet. It reminded Sephiroth more of a large shower head than anything else. A grating in the pipe acted as a type of sprinkler that distributed the rushing water into tiny drops. The pipe grating alone was eight feet wide.

As he entered the room, Sephiroth noticed Leira's sleeping position. Her arms were wrapped around Vincent as she slept. He could not help but feel a little jealous of the former Turk as he looked for something heavy to drop. Time was running out. It would not be long before his employers began to hunt for Leira themselves. If they lost faith in him, he was not sure what would happen. He decided to reopen the door and slam it shut instead.

BANG

Leira pushed Vincent off the bed and removed her Glock 21 from the holster underneath her shoulder. Her knees were drawn into her chest and the gun was pointed right at her former general. After she realized who had wakened her she calmed down a little. "This better be good." She growled as she lowered her handgun.

"I know how you like to keep clean so I went ahead and asked Rudah about a place to clean off at." He said as he approached her.

Vincent got to his feet and dusted himself off. He stood face to face with Sephiroth. His eyes seemed to glow with distrust.

Sephiroth turned and went over to one of his bags. He removed a few items and headed out of the room. The figure that had bumped him earlier was still making him uneasy. He did not want to tell the others about his experience just yet.

Once he was back outside, he removed the last articles of clothes he was wearing and stepped out into the makeshift pool. The water was deeper than it looked. He was amazed to see that it went up to his navel. He knelt down and tilted his head back a little to soak his hair. He brought soap with him and began to lather himself.

A minute later Vincent had shown up. He too removed the black uniform that usually was covered by his cloak. He was not sure how he felt being naked beside another man. He figured that it would not matter. He understood the importance of good hygiene as much as any other human.

The general was not sure what to make of Vincent's arrival. "This is how it was before she became an Elite. She stayed close to me."

"Even in showers?" Vincent asked as he entered the warm water. The temperature was strange. He ducked below the water and immediately arose. He pushed his black hair out of his face. He was surprised to see that his companion was a lighter skin color than he was

Both men had their backs to the small dirt path that led to their bathing area. Leira stood in the open air. She slowly unbuckled the brown SOLDIER emblazoned belt around her waist and began to unbutton the top part of her uniform. She arched her back and let the blue fabric slide off her shoulders and onto the ground.

Vincent and Sephiroth seemed to be ignoring each other as she stood in the distance. Both men obviously held feelings for her. It made her uncomfortable to know that they knew more about her than she did. She removed her white undershirt. At least they were both attractive. Her boots remained back in their room. She had walked barefoot to the wading pool. To Leira, the boots were two less articles of clothing that she would not need to worry about in her pursuit of cleanliness. With ease, she pushed down her tight black leggings and stepped out of them.

The proud Elite uniform was spread out in a path along the ground. She did not bother to pick it up or look back.

"Was Leira with you?" asked Sephiroth.

"She said she would be out in a minute…that she had some decisions to make." Vincent answered. Something told him to turn around. He could suddenly feel a presence behind him. He could not understand this sudden feeling. After a quick glance, he determined that Sephiroth was not feeling the same thing he was. Was someone really watching them bathe? "What kind of sick, twisted pervert?!" he growled to himself.

As Vincent sloshed around in the water, his eyes fell upon human feet. He followed the legs before him slowly up the rest of the body. He marveled at every inch of the person. Leira's form was a mix of muscle and softness. She was lightly sculpted in certain areas but it was evident that she was not weak by any means.

Her arms were bent at the elbows and covered her chest. Her hands rested on her shoulders as she too entered the water. Sephiroth turned around just in time to see her. She was just as he remembered her so many years ago. He recalled the fond memory that had come to him when Rudah mentioned the open shower.

_"I wanted to make sure that I was able to keep an eye on you." His smile was heartwarming but there was an odd look in his eyes. Something was bothering him. _

_She lowered her head and stared at her naked toes. Their wriggling motion added a touch of amusement to her questions. It almost seemed like she had discovered these digits for the first time. Her brown hair poured over her face as it accepted its watery burden. Of all the places to be, why had he chosen the men's shower room? Was that even a question that she should be asking herself? _

_Leira had found that she was growing fond of her general. It was just days before her transfer to the Turks and she did not know how, if she would ever get a chance to see him again. Heck, she was not even sure if she would be able to remain in Midgar period. _

_Reeve seemed adamant about her new position. "Trust me; I'm your uncle," he would say over and over again. Leira let his words slip by as she looked at her soon to be former general's body. _

_Sephiroth's arms reached toward the sky and solemnly bent at the elbows. His reddening hands traced the back of his neckline downwards toward the shoulders before finally slipping over and grasping the long white locks of his hair. Slowly, he elevated his hair above his head before unceremoniously dropping it. Leira watched as he cocked his head to the side. The fact that his eyes were closed in an almost rapture drew her in closer. _

_Without warning, Sephiroth dropped his hands and looked right at her. _

_Leira gasped in shock, as his eyes seemed to stare through her very being. It was almost thirty seconds later when she realized that he was not looking at her. He was looking passed her. _

_"Incoming." his voice said warningly. _

_Leira was too caught up in his looks to heed his words. After a couple seconds, the girl decided to follow his gaze. As soon as she locked onto that same area, a white bar of soap slammed into her forehead. Her head swung backwards with the rest of her body. After a couple seconds, she was able to collect herself. She looked back at Sephiroth and saw a glint of humor on his face. _

_He noticed the embarrassment in her face and quickly closed his eyes. He reached up with his left hand just in time to catch another flying bar of soap. _

_"That does it!" Leira growled out of frustration. She put her hands on top of the shower stall panel and pulled herself up. She than hurtled over it and took off at a dead run through the steamy Shinra shower room. No one was going to humiliate her in front of her dream man. _

Leira saw Sephiroth staring at her and raked a handful of water at him. "Wake up!" she snapped. "I know what you're thinking!"

Sephiroth blinked his eyes several times, as the water ran out of his eyes. "I…I'm sorry?" He was too in shock to hear her correctly.

"You were remembering something from our shared past. You can't fool me!"

Rudah approached with three bottles of champagne and set them down by the side of the small pool. "Well, well, what do you know? The gang's all here!" He focused in on Leira's upper body. "Just like me, some things actually do get better with age."

"Whatever…" Leira said as she rolled her eyes.

Vincent was about to respond but bit his lip as he thought about asking the junk dealer about his age.

Sephiroth let the words slip passed him as he grabbed a bottle. He opened the bottle and turned to Rudah. "No glasses."

The junk dealer watched as Sephiroth found a place to sit down. "Nope, tha…"

"Let me guess…that'll cost us extra." said Vincent as he picked up another bottle and handed the remaining one to Leira. She accepted it with open arms and thanked him.

Rudah looked at the three of them one last time before he sauntered off to his hut.

"You know," Sephiroth said studying the bottle in his hands. "Getting back to your thought, Leira. When Reno came along, I almost gave up on you."

"What's that?" Leira turned to him. "What about Reno?"

"Now with Mr. Valentine in the picture, I'm not sure what to think." He ran a hand down the length of the scar she had given him back in Kalm. "She does like you, Vincent. Be careful." He took a drink from his bottle and walked off.

"What was that all about?" Vincent asked slightly unnerved.

They watched him as he disappeared. "There's that change in attitude again," said Leira.

"It almost seems that he's trying to distance himself from you." Vincent commented as he climbed out of the water and sat on the ground.

"Why?" The Elite could think of several reasons for her ex-general's strange behavior. Her notions ranged from jealousy to fear…but fear of what? Losing her…

"Do you think his behavior has anything to do with the lists and that map?"

Sephiroth sat on one of the beds with his knees tucked into his chest. He had pulled on the bottom portion of his uniform. Beside him was one of his favorite books. An old manual on how to control materia rested against his foot. It would not be long now before Leira's memories and sanity would be put to the test. He wrapped his arms around his legs and rested his head. Usually, the old manual cheered him up but somehow that small joy was overshadowed by his worries on her becoming just like him. Was that possible? He had indeed been trying to distance himself from her but the years that they shared together while under Shinra employment were weighing down on him. "Why couldn't you just have died like everyone else?" he cried in the darkness.

Back in Costa del Sol Reeve continued to worry about his niece. The rest of the team did not really seem to share his concern. "She'll be fine." Cloud had told him once. For as much faith as he had in his sister's child, there was also skepticism. He sat in his personal sitting area with his hands folded in his lap. The worrying had been keeping him awake for a couple days. What could be keeping them so long? Had Sephiroth done something to her?

He picked up a framed picture on the coffee table in front of him. Behind the golden frame and glass was a picture of him, Leira and his sister. "Reann…" Reeve said as he traced the outline of his sister. Her red hair was so short back then. He could recall a time long ago when her eyes used to be brown and not the deep blue created by the Mako that had run through her veins.

Why couldn't he stop her from joining SOLDIER? Why hadn't he stopped her from marrying her husband when he had the chance? Would things have been any different if he did?

Reeve set the picture down and sighed as he watched the film created by fingers fade from the glass. Just than something caught his eye. There was another picture behind the one he had set down. He dropped to his knees and snatched up the picture.

For all the people in this photograph had put him through, he had no idea why he kept it at all. It had been taken during the sixteenth birthday of the last president, Rufus Shinra. Reeve found himself with a partial smile on his lips as he remembered how Leira had embarrassed him that day. The mutilated black dress that she wore in the picture had been a gift from him. Of course, the woman that had been a friend to his sister did the skin bearing alterations that occurred to it later. Leira stood there with the Scarlet's arms around her shoulders. Scarlet had been the head of the Weapon's Development team long before his niece was hired. To the left of the two stood the young president. Beside him was the boy's father, the then president Shinra…maybe it was just as well that Reeve could not remember his name.

Slowly, his smile was replaced by a frown. On the other side of Scarlet and Leira was her boyfriend, a Turk named Reno, Sephiroth and the head of the Shinra Science Department himself, Hojo. Reeve's anger steadily began to overtake him as the mad professor glared back at him. "Why did you have to ruin everything for us?! It's all your fault…and that damn son of yours!" he snarled. Just then, the phone in the next room began to ring. Reeve did not even bother to put the picture down as he crossed over to the dining room. He lifted the phone from its carriage and leaned against the wall. "Reeve here." he spat.

"Mr. President, you've got a call from someone," said the voice of one of his secretaries.

"This is Melody right? Listen, I'm not up for calls right now. Tell them to call back later if it's important."

"I tried that, sir. She…or he says it's important. The connection's not really that great. Anyway, they said that they've got a lead on some valuable information concerning your niece."

"Is that so?" Reeve muttered. "Put him through. Oh, and Melody, put a trace on it."

"Yes, Mr. President." The phone went through a series of clicks and than fell silent as the line was transferred. For several seconds Reeve thought the line had gone dead or the person on the other end had hung up. "Is anyone there?" He asked, breaking the silence.

"She is here with him and another man," said a ragged voice. "They have a copy of the map, too. It looks like they are going to try and find the others."

"Who is this? What are you talking about? What map? This is about Leira isn't it?!" Reeve rubbed at the sweat that had formed on his forehead as he tried to puzzle out everything he was being told.

"You were given one…Mr. President. You have a copy." The voice said menacingly. "The two of them are an attractive target. It's only a matter of time before the others catch up with them."

"Who are you?! Where are you calling from?!" Reeve demanded.

The voice on the other end said something but was interrupted by static. The last part sounded like Midgar. "Midgar, you said?!" Suddenly, Reeve knew who it was. So Leira and the others had made it that far, he thought to himself.

"Correct." Said a voice he had hoped he would never hear from again.

"Look…look, just watch after her for as long as you can…"

"The others are after me too, sir. Or have you forgotten?"

"Please, I'm begging you!! I'll pay you…just keep her safe! I'll be down as soon as I can!!"

CLICK

The person on the other end hung up on him. "This can't be happening," he said as he slammed the phone down. "URRRRGH!"

Reeve straightened himself and tried to put the entire telephone conversation behind him. He made his way back to the sitting room and looked at the images of Hojo and Sephiroth. "YOU RUINED MY LIFE!" he shouted as he flung the picture at the door to the outside. Milliseconds before the photograph erupted into tiny bits of glass, Cid Highwind had swung open the door.

The frame whizzed past his face and exploded against the doorframe. "Is this a bad time, Reeve?" He said slowly, rubbing his chin with concern. The object had just missed his face by a couple inches.

"What is it?!" Reeve shouted.

"I was just…" Cid reached up and scratched the back of his head. He had almost swallowed his cigarette when Reeve had thrown the picture at him.

The president pushed his anger behind him as best as he could. "I'm sorry, Cid. It's just that this is the hundredth time you people have knocked on the door…or in your case, just flew in."

"Yeah, sorry about that chief."

"What did you want to say?" Reeve asked as he got up from his couch.

The old pilot had almost forgotten what he wanted to tell him. "Uh, yeah! Well, you see some guy with a weird tattoo came up to Cloud as we were running some checks on the Highwind. Funny thing is…"

The dark haired president was now eye-to-eye with the grizzled pilot. "Tattoo?"

"Yeah, some number…Cloud seems to think he's seen the guy before, too. Says he's from Wutai to boot. You should've seen Yuffie drooling all over 'im. Like she's never seen a guy before…I haven't seen her like that since she got a load a that Turk…what's 'is name…" Cid frowned as he tried in vain to remember the name of the redheaded Turk that had saved the little Ninja's life almost three years ago.

Reeve's expression began to darken as he realized that Cid had no idea of the importance of his message. "That would be Reno…"

"The guy with the tat…or the Turk guy…?" Cid asked as he took a puff from his cigarette.

Reeve would have laughed at the man if the message were only concerning his niece's former lover. His face went red with anger and he shoved the man out of his way.

The impact sent the poor pilot into the side of the door. He tried desperately to keep himself from dropping his cigarette. "What the hell was that about?!" he managed to shout as he watched Reeve stomp out of the villa.

Cloud stood in the sunlight. The pounding of the sun's rays was starting to take its toll on him. His white T-shirt and his denim cut off shorts were soaked with his sweat.

Yuffie sat at the boy's feet with a piece of aluminum in her hands. She held it just below her chin to reflect the sun's rays toward her face. She wore a skimpy purple bikini with large blue flowers on it. She had originally worn a pair of shorts like the ones Cloud had adorned but had quickly removed them when the stranger had approached them. "Wha oh, Spiky boy!" she said as she noticed Reeve coming toward them. "Looks like Cid's message hit its mark. Might I add too that he does not look happy?"

Cloud looked at the nineteen year old for a moment and than back at the fuming Reeve. "I didn't think he would be happy." He walked toward Reeve to try to catch him halfway. He thought that if the president were to continue any further in his dark blue shirt and pants he might drop from heat stroke.

Yuffie lie back in the sand after putting on a dark pair of sunglasses. She could not recall seeing one of her fellow compatriots being as muscular as the tattooed man. He had been darker than her in skin color and tall. He had to have been over six feet in height. His body, from what she had seen of it, was entirely devoid of hair, with the exception of the clean-cropped black hair on his head. The man's tanned skin was blemish free. His dark eyes were exactly like Cloud's. Their deep blue put the oceans themselves to shame. Yuffie threw her arms out to her sides. "DUDE, where have you been all mah life?!!" She yelled out.

Cloud stopped to look back at her. He thought she was being attacked. He grinned as he realized that she was just remembering their strange visitor.

"Will she be alright? No one got hurt, right?" asked Reeve as he forced an awkward smile.

Cloud turned his focus to Reeve. "Nah, she's just love struck I guess."

Reeve pondered his own brown leather shoes for a moment. "Cid said you recognized him."

Cloud nodded. "He had Mako eyes like mine…if that means anything to you. I kind of remember seeing a guy that looked like him in SOLDIER. He was numbered, too."

"Where did he go? What did he say?"

"I don't know. Yuffie screamed and went running around like a wild girl…"

"I HEARD THAT MISTER!" the little Ninja interrupted.

"…By the time I looked back he was gone." Cloud continued. "He just asked about Mom's whereabouts and that was it."

Reeve bit his lip before he asked, "…and what did you say?"

Cloud shook his head. He was becoming interested in Reeve's reactions. "I just told him that I didn't know what he was talking about. He just smiled at me and called me a liar…that was when…well, y'know…Yuffie…"

The president did not want to hear anymore. He noticed that the gangplank of the Highwind was down and stormed up to the bridge.

"What's with him alla a sudden?" Yuffie blurted out as she joined Cloud. "He looked like he'd just seen a ghost!"

"I just think you need a good boyfriend." Cloud said meekly.

"Why you…" Yuffie dropped her jaw and elbowed him in the stomach. She stormed off toward the town creating a mini-sandstorm as she walked.

Since the Highwind's ramp was lowered for its maintenance checks, Reeve knew that at least one of the Costa del Sol team was aboard. "Cait Sith!" he called out.

"Down here, boss!" said the little black and white mechanical cat.

Reeve looked down at his creation. "Looks like my work on separate mobility has helped you out. Where's the Mog at?"

"Him? Oh, he's out mopping up the observation deck. I was just on my way to check out the instrument panel myself."

"Did you hear about our mystery visitor?" Reeve questioned.

"Yep, I was there. That's what I was going to check out," said the cat as he readjusted the oversized golden crown balancing between his pointy ears. "Hey, boss…" The cat said as he looked up at his creator.

"Yeah."

"Can I have a hand up? You've got longer legs than I do and all…it'd probably take me forever to get to the control room."

Reeve bent down and picked up the cat. Together they both made their way to the Highwind's bridge. Once inside Reeve kicked a chair over to one of the computer terminals and set the cat in it.

It was still quite a stretch for the feline but he managed to reach the important keys. "Do you think she'll still remember this guy?" he asked.

Reeve cocked his head back. Not this guy. He had wanted to say. Just the original copy.

"Boss, you okay?" The mechanical cat's eyes were still on the keyboard but he knew his creator enough to know that Reeve was more than bothered by these recent events.

"I'm okay, Cait. I am sure she remembers him well. If it is him." Reeve had not intended to sound cryptic but he could not think of anything else to say on the matter.

The little android kept hitting several keys. The light tapping on the keyboard reminded Reeve of his days back in Shinra. He remembered having to type out report after report about the plates and any kind of leaks that the floating city had. Anything that was deemed as a hazard for his people he had to attend to. Unlike the rest of the organization, Reeve felt that he and Mayor Domino were the only ones that really cared about Shinra's relationship with the people who dwelled in the city, slum or otherwise.

"Before I go on, do you think the old records are still stored in the computer? I mean…it's been a long time since…you know…"

Reeve knew that the cat's worries were justified. Meteor had caused many disturbances and a lot of necessary data had been lost from the old computer systems. He figured that if things like old Shinra maps and dossiers could be found than why not computerized data. He rested his hands on the back of the cat's chair. "Go on."

"Righty O', Boss." The cat continued to type. Suddenly the large wall panel monitor sprung to life. The screen went black with the exception of a large red "M" outline. "I think we've found it." Cait Sith purred.

A red cursor appeared underneath the Mako emblem, and a female voice spoke. "Password please."

"Ain't she a hottie?!" blurted the cat. "Rowr Rowr!"

Reeve winced at the thought. "Type in SOLDIER DOA."

"Got it." The cat did as he was instructed.

The screen began to flicker wildly as it began to match the password to its correct file.

The cat crossed its gloved paws. Reeve on the other hand was as confident as ever. He could not think of anyone still living that had access to these files, besides himself.

"Access Granted." said the snobbish computer generated voice. "File type SOLDIER Dead On Arrival access has been granted."

"If that's all you had to type, anyone could have gotten to it…it's not a very secretive sounding password…the least you could have done was had it voice imprinted or something." said the cat smugly.

"Quiet, fur-ball." coaxed Reeve.

Hundreds of pictures were shown on the screen. Many of them consisted of human faces.

"Hey, Cait…Who do you think it was?"

The cat considered all the possible options. He himself was one in a string of several disposable androids. If one model were to fail or be destroyed, an exact replica would replace it. The new Cait Sith would have all the data from its predecessor downloaded into him so he could act and carry on like there was never a gap. "Maybe if we start with the beginning numbers we'll find the guy."

"Why don't you just go ahead and type in Wutai for your search?" asked Reeve. For a copy, this latest Cait Sith liked to back talk.

"I tell ya what. I'll go ahead and cross reference them." The cat turned and smiled as his paws kept typing. Reeve poked the small triangular nose and smiled before he returned to look at the screen."

Large pictures of SOLDIERs from Wutai flashed on the monitor. "They all look alike don't they boss?"

Reeve ignored the comment and continued to watch the faces. His eyes suddenly caught a familiar image. "Cait stop there!" he demanded.

Cait Sith furiously struck a couple keys to stop the images from cycling. "I don't think that's the guy, boss…"

The face on the monitor was that of a SOLDIER First Class named Timal Klefmon. His hair was short and multicolored. The hair from his forehead to his ears was almost a burgundy color while the rest was shaved close and black. There was a tiny scar beneath one of his ears. A large black number hung above his head. Number twenty-nine.

"Boss, that ain't our guy." The cat said as he brought his crown down to cover his ears.

"What makes you so sure?"

"Our guy had black hair…no scar either."

Reeve felt like yelling at the cat. Instead, he decided to explain as patiently as he could. "Cait? Our guy is a clone. Somehow, this guy was cloned. He wasn't born with the scar or the…colorful hair."

"Hmmm." the tiny creation wondered. It hopped up onto the terminal and did its best to cover up the scar and the hair with its paws. "Y'know. I think this is him alright!" He laughed excitedly and clapped his gloved paws together. The cat scrambled down into his chair and crossed his tiny legs. "It says here he died on the way to Junon three years ago. He was just a kid…had turned twenty-seven just before he was killed. Poor guy. He's buried in Midgar somewhere, now."

Reeve was stumped. Hojo had reportedly quit days before the SOLDIER died. Surely, he had to have gained access to the body somehow before it was buried. If the professor had nothing to do with the cloning of the young man who did?

"Y'know, Reeve." The cat's voice became small. "While I was hiding out at the Gold Saucer, waiting for Cloud…I saw the same guy too…"

"It couldn't have been."

The cat flinched. "It was, boss. He was in the group that was following Sephiroth…err, the clone of Sephiroth anyway…"

Reeve tried to grab for clues as the cat continued. "He was killed than too. Some nutcase named Dyne shot up a bunch of people. Leira and a handful of officers barely made it out with their skin!"

"How many clones did you make you bastard?!" Reeve slammed his hands down on the back of the chair. "How many more of them are going to be searching for her?"

"Wow, if we're talking clones, there's no telling how many there could be!" Cait Sith pulled his ears down against his head. His circuits were becoming as stressed as his creator.

Vincent and Leira picked up their clothing and walked, naked, into the shelter.

Sephiroth was shining Masamune when the two entered. "I trust that you two had a good time."

Leira threw the blue upper half of her uniform at him. "Wouldn't you like to know?!" she giggled. Her smile seemed to put him at ease. He quickly set the sword down behind him, caught the uniform and grabbed her when she got close to try to snatch it back. All three of them blushed as she squealed out. "Let go of me you pervert!"

Sephiroth did as she asked and dropped the naked woman to the floor. Leira struck with a dull THUD. She landed face down with her hands beneath her shoulders. She looked up at him with a scowl on her face and than over to Vincent.

The ex-Turk had turned his back and was trying to look as busy as he could while getting dressed. He was scared that if she were to catch him smiling at her fall she would beat on him relentlessly.

Much to Sephiroth's surprise, as soon as Leira made her way to her feet she tackled him. He ended up sprawled out along the length of the bed with her above him. The Elite's hair began to drip down their faces. "This seems familiar," he said as a couple drops of water entered his eyes.

Her face dropped its humorous appearance and quickly turned into an angry scowl. "You're hiding something! What is it?" she climbed off him and started to put her uniform back on.

Vincent had just finished securing his cloak to the rest of his uniform when he heard her interrogate Sephiroth. The white haired general was trapped, he thought. Leira fumbled, with one hand as she searched for something in her uniform. In a split second, she pulled out her knife and held it against his throat.

The dead man was quick to respond. He ran for her and pulled her off him. "He's not scoring any points with me either but we do need him!" he barked.

Sephiroth sat up and felt the area where the tiny blade had touched. There was a tiny trickle of blood on his finger. "We'll all find out at the same time." he coughed and slid his arms through the sleeves of his long black coat.

"That's not fair!" Leira shouted as she freed herself from Vincent, only to have him grab her in a double arm lock.

"Easy, girl!" he said in an attempt to comfort her. "I get the feeling that things aren't going the way he had planned to begin with."

Sephiroth humbly nodded and began to buckle the leather straps of his white shoulder guards.

Vincent felt the angered Elite relax in his grip. He slowly let her go but remained ready in case her temper was to flare up again.

"That's a reassuring thought…" she grimaced.

"It's only going to get better," said Sephiroth in a small voice.

Once they were completely suited up, the three went out to look for the chocobos. To Vincent's chagrin, there were only two birds. "He did take the damn bird, didn't he!" he growled.

"He's a businessman after all." Leira smiled while she untied the tethers that held the birds to their hitching posts.

"What do you think he did with the last bird?" asked Sephiroth as he put his bags onto the back of one of the birds.

"Don't you know? Chocobos have become a delicacy here since most types of meat are scarce. I'm sure Rudah chopped it up and got it ready to sell. I wouldn't put it past him."

"She said that with such ease." Vincent remarked to Sephiroth. The two men each boarded a different bird.

"Decisions decisions." she huffed. For reasons unknown to herself, Leira walked over to Sephiroth's chocobo and climbed aboard. "You've got the map right. Who's our first target?"

Vincent took the old map and list out of his pocket and studied them. "That would be the one you called Ecka. She looks like she should be pretty close to here…" he paused as he noticed something that could hinder their progress.

"What's wrong?" asked Sephiroth. He was the first to notice Vincent's voice trail off.

"This map…it's old. I'm sure everything's been buried since Meteor." He readjusted his head wrappings.

Leira's brow wrinkled in despair. That had been something she had not counted on.

A piece of metal rolled down a nearby rubble heap. Sephiroth raised his head and looked in the direction of the sound. A dark figure could be seen running over the dune in an attempt to get away from them.

"Who or what is that?!" Leira asked as she followed his gaze.

Vincent's curiosity was also piqued.

"That…is one of the secrets I've been hiding from you," the former general said softly.

Leira was becoming increasingly uneasy but she grabbed the bird's reigns from Sephiroth and snapped them sharply to get it moving.

"KWEH!" the bird cried out as it prepared to begin its run.

Sephiroth was a little shaken at Leira's sudden decision. He began to turn his head to express himself but noticed something else. The bird had started its sprint when Sephiroth caught sight of three black-cloaked beings standing beside the hut that they had occupied. Leira's eyes were still stuck on the escaping being and Vincent was already closing in on their chocobo. It was a safe bet that he had not seen the shadowy figures either. The general began to whiten and grow cold. It seemed like he and Leira were running out of time.

While the chocobos sped off after the runaway, none of them had noticed the figure dangling from the shadowed side of the hut. The three-cloaked figures watched their targets scramble off and left Rudah's bloated corpse hanging from the structure's awning. They walked in the opposite direction, unconcerned with what had happened. There was always another day.

Sephiroth, Vincent and Leira had only been riding for a couple of minutes through the crumpled wasteland. They never lost sight of the figure that they were following.

As soon as they were in range, the gray-cloaked figure stopped in its tracks and turned to face its pursuers. At first, it looked like it was going to pull something out of its cloak but had decided on something else. It sent its arms skyward before dropping them to the ground. A loud feminine sounding yell echoed through the ruins.

Leira heard the voice and knew what was about to follow. "SPREAD OUT!" she barked.

A brilliant orange flame encircled the person they had been chasing after. Leira had steered the bird to the far left as the circle of fire disengaged and flew through the empty air where the three had once been.

Sephiroth was clearly puzzled. "I haven't seen a fire spell like that since…"

The figure cursed and began to raise its arms again for another try. The former Turk was not about to give the creature another chance. As soon as he was close enough, Vincent leapt off his bird and tackled the figure to the ground. Together they slammed into a mound of rusted scrap.

The figure in the grey cloak landed flat on its back and let out an audible "WHUFF!" as the wind was forced from its lungs. The ex-Turk pulled out a handgun and held it on the creature.

Leira and Sephiroth dismounted and stood beside him. Their suspect shook a little as its chest began to heave.

From her vantage point, the person before her looked almost like an ordinary thief. The body seemed petite at best. It wore brown leather gloves and boots with grey tattered trousers. Everything else was hidden beneath its flowing grey cloak. How could something like this spook Shinra's best general? "This was that secret of yours?" Leira asked unimpressed.

In what seemed to be a miraculous recovery, the tired being sat bolt upright. "YOU…YOU BITCH!" it hissed.

Leira was in shock. Did she know this being?

"OF ALL THE PEOPLE WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE YOU?!" The grating voice of their captive boomed. In the blink of an eye, the hooded figure propelled itself forward and flew into the Elite. They crashed to the ground and were almost laid out upside down, as they slid down the side of a nearby dune. The hood of the cloaked figure was now hanging around its shoulders as it raised a fist at the unsuspecting Turk. Its face was covered in a burlap-looking mask with chrome accents around the eyes and mouth. No hair was visible from the outside of the mask. Leira was immobilized while their prey relentlessly pummeled her with its closed fists. The person seemed to be extremely irate with her for some reason. A glint of silver caught Leira's eye and she managed to trace it back to the left arm of her attacker. The person was wearing some kind of brace around its arm.

Vincent slid down and managed to pull the strange person off his teammate. "I'M NOT DONE WITH HER YET!" the person bellowed.

"I think you are." Sephiroth said confidently as he stood between Leira and her attacker. The dead man grabbed the person's wrists and lifted him off the ground while the former general focused on Leira.

The Elite cautiously worked her way into a sitting position. There was a mix of blood and dirt smeared all over her face. Sephiroth knelt beside her and began to try to clean up her slowly drying cuts with a corner of his long black overcoat. "You…never will…forgive me…" she managed to stutter.

"Is that a trick question?!" a menacing voice seemed to spring out from Vincent's captive. "I'm sure he hasn't forgotten!" the hooded figure pointed at Sephiroth. "I'm sure…" The shabbily clad knees seemed to shake furiously beneath the angered humanoid. "I'm sure Zack would never have forgotten either! You're the only one that has!"

Before Vincent could react, his prisoner thrust its shoulders into his stomach and turned rapidly to knee him in the groin. The scarlet clad man dropped to his knees clutching himself.

Sephiroth stood above the short aggressor. "I do know you." His eyes searched the person as he tried to look for anything that might remind him of someone he had once known. A SOLDIER First Class by the name of Zack had once served in his unit almost ten years ago. Sephiroth had left the young SOLDIER for dead when he had set fire to the town. Was that the Zack she meant?

Vincent pulled himself up to his feet as he managed to push the pain behind him. He grabbed a shoulder of the figure with one hand and ripped off the brown mask with the other. He was not in the mood for any more games of tag.

The face that greeted them had everyone in awe. The humanoid was indeed human. The person that Sephiroth had once expected to be male was really a young girl. Long straight black hair stretched to her shoulders. Her skin was almost a deathly white. The girl's eyes were truly her most breathtaking feature. They were a captivating Mako enhanced blue.

Before them stood SOLDIER First Class Ecka. "I'm surprised you remembered me at all!" she brought her hand to her chest and gasped.

The last time Sephiroth had seen this girl was shortly after a failed mission in one of Wutai's provinces. He remembered being there with Zack and Leira at a hearing for the young SOLDIER. Because of her left arm being shattered by enemy fire, she was to be honorably discharged from any and all military functions. She was not a happy sixteen year old.

Zack had done his best to mold her into the woman that stood before them presently. "If only you could see her now." Sephiroth whispered under his breath.

"If it weren't for either of you, I would still be kicking ass with Zack! But NO, you two had to play goo-goo eyes and get me transferred! I was happy with Zack in Norelliies' camp!"

Vincent was more than confused at that point. He had no idea how someone that young could maintain such a constant hatred. He remembered when Cloud had told them about the SOLDIER named Zack. His story, according to the blonde spiky haired boy had taken place close to eight years ago.

Abruptly the girl stopped her verbal tirade and looked behind the spot where Sephiroth was standing. "I'm far from done with you!" she hissed and pointed an accusing finger at Leira. "If you wanna know more let me ride on one of your chocobos. We won't get to safety in time if we travel by foot!"

Sephiroth hazarded a glance behind. He could not see anyone, but he agreed. It was better to be safe than sorry. Sephiroth helped Leira to her feet and aboard one of the tall golden birds, leaving Vincent to share his bird with the young SOLDIER.

Once the birds were off and running the young girl relaxed against the front of Vincent's body. "I'm sorry about what happened back there," she whispered.

Vincent looked down at her. "I guess it's…alright."

The girl tilted her head and gave him a warm smile. "I got my temper from him." she nodded toward Sephiroth. "I'm Trabian…by the way…no one could pronounce my name so they called me Ecka instead…it was Zack's idea."

"I'm Vincent…Vincent Valentine." The dead man introduced himself.

"Vincent." she repeated. "You must have had a hard life to be traveling with these guys."

Before he could ask her what she meant, the girl had straightened her posture and was pointing ahead. "That's where we need to be, just beyond those hills!"

Sephiroth nodded at her. Leira could not bring herself to look in the direction of the twenty six year old girl.

After traveling for nearly a half hour the birds came to a stop and their passengers climbed off. Ecka helped them unpack their gear and pulled a handgun out of her cloak. Vincent noticed a silencer attached to its barrel. "I was going to shoot at least one of you, but than I remembered that there's a hefty paycheck attached to your girlfriend." she smiled at Sephiroth.

"So you were going to bake us instead?" asked the general shortly.

The girl let his words slip by and pulled the trigger. What little noise came from the weapon was still enough to scare away the golden birds. "They were about to be a huge burden anyway." she muttered. "Now, follow me."

The three travelers could not understand their guide's actions. Not only were they stranded without a quick means of escape; they were stranded outside of a huge dune created out of several years of trash. They followed her reluctantly as she pushed a silver six-foot tall object out of the way. A long dark corridor was suddenly revealed. "Get in and follow it all the way to the end! DO NOT LOOK BACK!"

Leira went in first. After all these years, she wanted to prove to her former teammate that she still trusted her. Next was Sephiroth. The ex-general knew that he would be the most likely candidate to protect the Elite should the young SOLDIER go through another mood swing. Vincent entered and was closely followed by Ecka. He had become curious about her intentions and helped her close the makeshift door behind them. When their task had been completed, the awkward pair continued their walk to catch up with the others.

The corridor seemed to stretch on forever. It was damp as well as narrow and dark. Sephiroth wondered why someone would want to stay so far away from civilization. He had been expecting to see rats or some kind of creature inhabiting the tunnel they were passing through.

"Hang a right before you smack into the wall." came Ecka's voice from behind him. The three did as they were instructed and ended up walking into a large shelter. There were several torches hanging on the walls to provide some kind of lighting.

"Where are we?" asked Vincent.

"This is my hideout. In it's heyday it was called the Freezer," said Ecka smugly. "This is where dead SOLDIERs ended up being sent before they were buried. You name 'em, they've been here…with a few exceptions." her eyes shifted to her former general.

Leira looked at Sephiroth. They had both heard of this place.

"That would mean that we're underneath Shinra headquarters…or what's left of it…" Leira spoke carefully.

"That's exactly where we are, dear heart."

Sephiroth looked around at the room. There was a bed and a small table and chair set beside one of the rounded walls. He could faintly see a familiar looking picture hanging on a wall just behind the table. He walked inside the compound and stood below it. The wall hanging was the same map that Vincent had been carrying with him. Suddenly it all made sense to him. "You were discharged before Jenova called everyone to the crater, weren't you?"

"Yep." Trabian leaned against the wall in front of him.

"I didn't kill you?" Sephiroth rested a hand below his chin as he pondered this idea.

Vincent could not believe his morbid style of questioning.

"Nope." answered the girl.

"You were in SOLDIER. You had a number. How did you resist her call?" The girl's former general was completely beside himself.

"That would be…yep, number seventeen, and medication!" she replied flippantly. "Lots and lots of medication!"

Sephiroth suddenly found himself wanting to ask about her comment when Leira cut him off. "It's because of her arm. Remember when she got shot…because of me?"

He recalled the girl's arm being in a cast during the discharge ceremony. He also was able to recall his conversation with Rudah about drugs that were handed out to people who had suffered horrible injuries. "Apparently the drugs that Rudah gave you had an almost identical effect as the ones that Leira was put on to shield her memories. It must have done something to silence Jenova's blood. So you knew about what was going on with everyone else."

"I sure did." stated Ecka not even trying to hide her pride. "I've been hiding out ever since. I've been looking after Hojo's cloning projects, too. I've been making sure that the dead stayed dead." She twirled her black hair around one of her fingers.

"What was that?" asked Vincent.

"That's why everyone had numbers," she said in a matter of fact tone. "Hojo had a plan for everyone in SOLDIER after he started playing around with Jenova. The latest generation of SOLDIERs were supposed to follow her to the ends of the earth…oh," she looked Sephiroth up and down from head to toe, "and Seph too."

"Hojo's dead! I was there when he was killed!" Vincent blurted out.

Ecka rolled her eyes and flung a hand at him. "Whatever…"

She looked to Leira. "Now where was I? Oh, I remember, now! You don't have to worry about Zack coming back; he's been nothing but scattered ashes for years! He's never coming back!"

Lieandra was surprised by the hatred in the girl's eyes. She sat down in a chair beside Sephiroth. She had never thought about Zack's former partner being so close to him.

"HE WAS MY MENTOR!" the black haired girl barked. "You sent one of your cronies out to find me and never thought about attending the services yourself. His body was so bullet riddled by the time the burial rights started they figured it would be best to just burn him anyway!" Ecka leaned over the shaken Elite. "Instead, you got to go take up a cushy job in Costa del Sol!"

Sephiroth was amazed with how much information the girl carried inside her head.

"I'll bet you don't even remember Norelliies!" There was that name again.

Ecka knew Norelliies? "Who was she?" asked Leira.

"Who was she?" Ecka had not been prepared for the Elite to ask her that question. She sat down in another chair and rested her forehead in her hands. "You don't remember Sephiroth putting you in her unit?"

"No…"

"I'm still not sure what you hoped to accomplish by putting her in there with us…" the twenty six year old spat. Sephiroth was slowly becoming her next target for her anger.

"I had my reasons," he said sternly.

Ecka wrapped her head against the solid wooden table a couple times. She looked at the faces around her and rummaged inside her cloak for something. "My arm's starting to hurt…hang a sec…" she withdrew a small bottle of pills and opened it. After lightly shaking its contents, she dumped two tablets into her palm. "The arm's a lot more technical than it looks." she smiled as she tried to hide the pain she was experiencing. "It's a tiny mix of metal and a cast I will never be able to take off. What little bone is left was pinned together after the shrapnel was removed. Everything was wired to this damn covering." She strummed her fingernails against her shiny metal arm.


	16. Rest In Peace, Norry

Ecka's head began to loll around and she was starting to pale.

"You okay?" asked Vincent.

"I'm okay," she answered. "The drugs are just kicking in. I need to lay down. If you want just take a look around. DO NOT GO OUTSIDE!" The girl got up from the table and stripped off her cloak. She was wearing a black tank top underneath. The shirt seemed to be too baggy for her. Aged bandages were wrapped around her flat chest and were visible through the large armholes. Leira recognized the article of clothing immediately. "Wasn't that Zack's?"

Ecka pushed down her dirty baggy pants and kicked them off her ankles along with her oversized boots. "Not like he'll need it anyway. Especially where he is…he gave it to me after you almost got us all butchered!" She snapped the elastic waistband of her skintight blue biker shorts. The young SOLDIER noticed that Vincent's eyes were glued to her bandages. "You wanna know about this don't you?" she calmly walked over to him and put his right hand to the area that covered her breasts.

Vincent had not been expecting the type of reaction she had given him. He thought about his age for a second and than wondered, what Leira's thoughts would be about his hand pressed to the young girl's chest. The Elite was still sitting at the table. Her hands covered her face. He was unable to tell if he upset her.

"When they attack you, they do it without remorse."

The ex-Turk looked into her blue eyes. He wanted to ask whom but was instantly caught up in what he was able to feel. He felt a hole where there should have been bone. There were sharp jagged edges where the rib cage seemed to have been broken apart.

To add to his curiosity she lowered a corner of her bandage to give him a better idea of what he was feeling. There was a web work of red puffy scars below that one small section of tape. "They've got powerful jaws. Rudah saved me just as they went off to tell their master that I was dead. Good thing he showed up to or some clone would be living my afterlife for me." She scratched her forehead. "I like you."

"What?" Vincent asked. She was standing above him. Her voice was so peaceful.

"You've got a bum arm too." she said pointing at his claw.

Vincent blushed than noticed that her facial expression had changed. Her face was burning with anger. "You're eyes! They're…red?!"

Leira raised her head at the former thief's yell. Sephiroth was too busy studying the map to bother with the disturbance.

"You're one of them! Forget what I just said!" The little SOLDIER backed up and swung her right leg around in a powerful roundhouse kick. Before either would-be combatant knew what was going on, the aggressor dropped to the ground. The Elite was holding her ankle in the air.

"Relax…he's one of us not…whoever…" Leira dropped her ankle. She knew about how volatile the girl was and wanted to protect her teammates.

"A few of Hojo's creations have red eyes just like yours!" the twenty six year old stammered. "He's a friend?!" an accusing finger leveled at the dead man.

Vincent took a breath and explained his situation to the girl. He told her about his love for the mad scientist's wife so many years ago and the price that he still paid even in death.

Ecka smiled. "That's pretty. I'm gonna take a nap." she sauntered over to her set of old mattresses and lie down. Too much excitement made the side effects of the drug become harsh.

"You know who she's talking about, correct?" Sephiroth's voice was still distant. His posture even sported a lack of concern with his finger resting below his smooth triangular chin. The burial map still held a large percentage of his interest.

"What? The part of Hojo's creations, right?" Leira asked.

Sephiroth nodded in solemnity. "We just found where Ecka was laid to rest and I think these tunnels might lead us to a couple others."

"What are you getting at, Sephiroth?" Vincent kept his voice low so as not to disturb the sleeping girl.

"We all caught a glimpse of her coffin. You saw it yourself," the cold-hearted man said flatly.

Vincent stood side by side with Leira. "The gray lid outside?" he slowly recalled the coffin shape doorway to Ecka's lair.

"She must have had a false burial," added Leira.

Sephiroth grinned and faced the others. "She was good at being tricky. I'll give her that."

"So who's next on the tour?" asked Leira while folding her arms.

Sephiroth was about to reply but Vincent was way ahead of him. "That would be number twenty nine. Wouldn't it?"

Leira suddenly felt like she was in a nightmare. "Twenty nine?!" She faced Sephiroth in confusion. "That can't be…"

The former Shinra general lowered his head. He had known that this particular burial site would be painful for her.

The world seemed to spin around Leira at a dizzying pace. Number twenty-nine was a SOLDIER that she could recall without much thought. She could remember how much the SOLDIER from Wutai had touched her life.

"_What is that?!" she blurted out._

_"I thought only the stupid questions were reserved for the newest Turk." He smiled. Decorating a portion of his back, left arm and chest was a large tattoo. It was a picture of some kind of long serpent with crimson, blue and black scales. "If you must know, it's Wutai's sacred seal. This is Leviathan, my countries water god." _

_Leira gave him a shy smile and turned back towards the warm shower water. She picked up a bar of soap and began to lather her arms. She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. Timal had entered the stall behind her. _

_"Y'know…There's no use in me wasting anymore water." He said slyly. "The other tattoo…twenty nine, that was a number that Hojo assigned me. I've got no idea why. I'm only twenty-seven. I wasn't even in my twenties when I first joined SOLDIER." _

_Leira looked at his left arm and noticed the black-stenciled number just underneath the midsection of Leviathan. She had not noticed it before. She blushed as her eyes had wandered down his arm to his naked hips. _

_Timal put his left hand up to her chin. "Hey you." He said gently. He leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. _

Sephiroth laid a hand on her shoulder. "If you're sure you're up to it. One of these tunnels should be able to take us directly to him."

Vincent looked around and found a compass hanging from one of the nails used to hold up the map. He took it down and pointed it at one of the blocked off hallways. With another brief glimpse at the map, he was able to determine the path too to the SOLDIER's final resting place. "It's that way," he pointed to an open corridor.

Leira took one last look at the snoozing Ecka before she followed the other two down the flame lit hallway.

"What do you think we'll find?" Vincent asked Sephiroth.

The white haired man tried to remember the faces of those that were present for his resurrection.

He suddenly found himself at a loss for words as Leira decided to speak up. "Hopefully we'll find a body." She pushed ahead of the men. She was anxious to see what had become of one of her most personal friendships. Ecka's talk about clones had set numerous fears running through her mind.

"Hey, wait! I've got the compass here!" Vincent cried aloud and took off after her.

Sephiroth paused. "I wonder…" One thought in particular was racing through his mind, "How well did she know this fallen SOLDIER?"

A growling noise came from one of the walls beside Leira and was quickly followed by two more. She froze and turned to the others. "Someone's hungry!"

Vincent grabbed her by the arm and forced her out of the way. He reviewed his materia before positioning himself in an attack stance.

Sephiroth ran a hand through his long hair. He found himself itching for a good fight.

Three wolf like creatures leapt out at them. "No problem." Vincent said. He extended a hand at the creatures and whispered a quick chant. It was at that point that Sephiroth and Leira became more concerned with the materia the former Turk was wearing rather than the number of creatures he destroyed by fire. Vincent turned to them sheepishly. "Maybe she should have been more careful about shutting down corridors."

As the rogue Kalm Wolves turned into ash, Leira made a grab for the dead man's wrist. "Where did you get this?! Do know who this belonged too?!" Leira was pointing at one of the many materia gems he had been wearing.

Sephiroth grabbed her by the underarms before she completely dropped to her knees.

Vincent was taken by surprise. He looked at Sephiroth and than back at Leira. The Elite had begun to sob. "What is she talking about…?"

"I don't know…" Leira's ex-general was becoming more and more concerned with her ability to continue.

The Elite looked from face to face. "Let's just move on. It's nothing."

Systematically the three walked. The corridor seemed to get darker and darker. Leira's light blue uniform was getting harder for Vincent to recognize. "I can't see the needle on the compass anymore."

Leira halted and leaned against a partition. "We're lost aren't we?"

"That's impossible…" Sephiroth sputtered. He maneuvered his way around the two Turks. "We're going in the right direction!"

A small sound caught the dead man's ear. It sounded like tinfoil bending. He turned to his sense materia in an effort to try to isolate the noise. "Don't go any further!"

Sephiroth was quick to disregard his words and continued. Rapidly, the floor had dropped out from underneath him. He managed to hover in the air briefly. Leira reached out to try to make a grab for her former general but it was too late, his waning powers had given out. Sephiroth had already been swallowed by the blackness. He fought to grab hold of something but the assortments of wires hanging from the interior of the hole were not enough to support him.

Vincent hurried to Leira's side. "How big do you think it is?"

The Turk Elite sat on the edge. "Knowing Ecka, I'd say it's wide enough for her not to care about any heavy enemies coming across!"

"That big, huh?"

"Yeah. You think we should help him or do you think that he'll fly out on his own?" The next thing Leira knew the ground under her feet had begun to rot away. "HOLY SHIT!" she yelped as her hands dashed about for something to grab onto.

"I've got you!" Vincent assured her. He had grabbed her wrists just in time. "I'm going to pull you up! I'm beginning to think this was a bad…" He started to lift Leira to sturdy ground just as the floor had unexpectedly dropped out from underneath him as well.

Reeve looked at the cat once more. "We need to be ready in the event there will be more clones."

"Gotcha, boss!" The little black and white cat hit a few more keys. In minutes, the cat had drawn up another image. The monitor began showing several men standing side by side. Long tinted shields hung from their black helmets. "You meant these guys right?"

The men on the screen were decked out in heavy black body armor and had large black rifles slung over their shoulders. The camera angle went wide and showed them knocking their heels together in military fashion. "YES SIR, MISTER PRESIDENT, SIR!"

"Good job, Cait!" The President acknowledged.

"Well…you know…" Cait Sith blushed.

"Gentlemen, I have a job for you! I need you to arrive at the Presidential residence ASAP! The Highwind will be running as soon as you make it here! Board the ship and have your gear ready! We have another clone on our hands!"

"unnnnnnnh," Leira's eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness. "Ouch…is everyone okay?" Her body began to ascertain the damage it had suffered. "That's definitely going to leave a mark or two…" No broken bones were sustained but the bruising had started to feel just as bad. She wrinkled her nose. "Pitch black…" she snorted. The Elite whispered the chant that would activate her fire materia. A ball of fire burst to life and hovered a couple feet off the ground. "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" she yelped as a face became visible in the dancing flame. "Bomb…fire elemental…Ice materia…need ice materia…" she whimpered and began to back away.

"You almost burnt my eyebrows off!" Sephiroth had made it to the bottom in one piece and had followed the sound of Leira's chanting. "Vincent's around here, right?" His eyes glanced around.

The ground behind Leira started to moan. "I'm here…"

"Wherever that is…" Leira scoffed. The pit they had fallen into resembled the train tracks that led from the top plates of Midgar to the slums below. The only difference was this particular section was loaded with tons of garbage and scrap. "Do you think we're still in the Freezer?"

Sephiroth took a minute to think but gave up.

Vincent Valentine brought himself to his feet. He looked into the fire. "That's an interesting blaze. I don't think I've seen one float in place like that before. Anyone feel like singing?"

Sephiroth stretched his arms above his head and yawned. "Chances are you haven't. Congratulations, Leira…" his eyes shifted from Vincent to the Elite. "Your materia usage is getting back to what it used to be."

"Huh?"

"You're regaining the abilities you learned while Norelliies was in command. You and Ecka. You saw the blast she used while we were chasing her. Norelliies liked to use fire spells so she made sure to outfit everyone that served with her. She even carried Ifrit materia."

Vincent frowned. "This Norelliies…She had control over the god of hellfire?!"

Sephiroth addressed him with a shifty smile. "That she did. She even gave it to me before I was sent to Nibelheim. I can't recall what happened afterwards…I might have dropped it somewhere…I could never get rid of the thing for too long…oh, well."

The dead man could only stare at the offspring of his lost love. Had Sephiroth used Ifrit to burn the village to the ground? Maybe he really had gone insane? It had become clear to him that the man still did not seem to be entirely stable. A flicker from the fire caught Vincent's attention. Absentmindedly he fumbled around for the compass. The little trinket began to reflect the fires brilliant red, yellow and orange hews. The needle of the compass was pointing directly at one of the walls. "Hmmm." Vincent pulled out his map and checked it against the device.

Sephiroth and Leira stood eye to eye. "You keep talking about her. If Ifrit was such an awesome materia, why did she give it to you? What type of…relationship…"

The brown haired Elite started to see things a little clearer.

"It's about time." He pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to clean out the corners of his eyes. "I was beginning to think you'd never remember. That woman is not my favorite topic of discussion…"

"Number twenty nine! I think his coffin might be behind that wall!" Vincent ran over to the edge and began to dig.

Leira shot Sephiroth a nasty look. "How could you say something so vile?!" she hissed and removed the top of her uniform. "She was on the list! Where are we going to find her? A sewage drain?!" She tossed it to the ground and went to help Vincent.

"I had no control over anyone's final resting place. I was…otherwise occupied at the time." Sephiroth mumbled and sauntered over to help with the excavation.

Hours had passed and the party had tried to find ways to keep themselves comfortable while they searched for the coffin of the SOLDIER known as Timal Klefmon.

Leira helped the two men tear a panel down. Her white undershirt was now so soaked with sweat that it was now grayish in color. She sat down on a busted crate panting. Vincent nodded to Sephiroth and sat down between them. During this time, he had also taken it upon himself to remove the upper portion of his clothing. "I'm surprised she made it this far." He squinted. "It's usually the fairer sex that gives in before any manual labor takes place."

Sephiroth looked at him cautiously before something caught his eye. A look of revulsion was present and quickly gave away to reveal a toothy white smile. He looked past Vincent and witnessed something that he had become accustomed to back in his Shinra days. Valentine noticed that Sephiroth's attention had been diverted and followed his glance. The sight before him was rather odd. Leira had opened up her Turk knife and had begun to pick out the spaces between her teeth. She noticed that both men's eyes had rested on her and quickly withdrew the weapon. She flashed a wide smile and quickly hid it behind her back.

Their search had seemed like a fruitless challenge. "Are you really sure he's here?" Leira asked.

Vincent sighed and flicked off the beads of sweat that had gathered along his hairline.

Sephiroth perked up. "Did anyone hear that?"

"You're joking right? What could possibly be, here, in this hole, with us?" Leira retorted.

"No…he's right…I hear something too…" Vincent rose to his feet. His skin seemed to grow whiter. He and Sephiroth both grabbed Leira by the shoulders and hurried her to a far corner. The team ducked into a small hole to try to avoid being crushed.

What started as a sound of scraping metal quickly turned into a mini avalanche. Chunks of wall, abandoned equipment and other materials poured into the tiny space.

Almost a minute later, the noise and the debris flood were quieted. Sephiroth was the first to leave. He took a glimpse at the damage and tapped the other two on the shoulders. "It's safe now."

Clouds of dust blew into the fire and created a dull hiss. "Now what do we do?" Leira was becoming cross. "If there was something in there it's probably been destroyed." She kicked a wheel from an old office chair.

"Don't give in just yet." Sephiroth pointed at a large object sticking out from the hill the avalanche had created.

Leira clamored over to the object and began to pull it out of the wall. Vincent and Sephiroth joined her.

"HEAVE!" she shouted as she pulled on a corner. The two men did their best to dislodge the heavy item…

With a dull THUD, a large box slammed to the ground. The mysterious object was a battered coffin. "Let's open it and get it over with." The idea of a decomposing body did not bother her as much the hint that a good friend's decomposing body would be contained in the long metal box. Immediately she located the casket's seals and popped them open. Once the locks were disengaged, Vincent helped her push the lid off. Sephiroth folded his arms against his bare chest. He found himself to be curious about the contents of the metal casket. Did it really contain a friend of Leira's? He shut his eyes in thought.

"It's empty!" Leira cried.

Sephiroth was not surprised.

A white sheet with a SOLDIER emblem was draped over the cushiony interior. Indeed, there was no corpse.

"Maybe the handlers were scared off by Meteor so they never got a chance to put a body in it." Vincent assumed.

"That's not why." Sephiroth remarked with disinterest.

"What's your reason, then? Enlighten me." Leira urged.

Sephiroth gave a slight yawn and approached the coffin. Gently he lifted a corner of the fabric and pushed it aside. "Here's a hint."

A metal sheet hid underneath the cloth. "It looks like some kind of plaque." Vincent guessed.

"Very good." With a flick of a wrist, Sephiroth pulled the sheet out of the coffin and dropped it on the ground. "It's actually an epitaph."

Leira moved closer to the side and peered inwards.

Here Lay The Only Remains Of Neidlictzech, Norelliies "Norry" Of Kalm

General To Midgar Elite Unit 65 And Former SOLDIER First Class #9

Died At Age Twenty Nine

May You Return To The Planet Safely

"Well, that sure said a lot…" Vincent wondered if any parting words and been left for him when he had been stuffed into a coffin by Hojo and left in the dungeon of the Shinra Mansion.

"It said remains…but…there's nothing here…" Leira was suddenly worried. "Is she still alive?"

Vincent reached into the coffin and felt around. His hand came to rest on a secret pocket that was sown into one of the sky blue cushions that lined the casket. "Hmmmm..." His fingers came to rest on a plastic crumpled up bag. He pulled it out and held it in front for the others to view.

"So that's what's left of the old girl! I wonder why Hojo didn't bother to send along the rest of the pieces." Sephiroth's disinterested tone of voice was sickening to Leira.

Dangling from the ex-Turk's fingers was a twelve-inch by fifteen-inch bag of human hair.

"May I see that?" Sephiroth asked Vincent.

The dead man handed the bag to him.

The white haired man opened the bag and removed a small lock of hair. "Wavy, smooth, healthy and blonde. Yep, this is Norelliies."


	17. Last Words

A low chuckle filled the area. "Well, it's safe to say she didn't survive. I don't think Ecka knew exactly what was in that coffin."

Leira put her back to the coffin and slid down its smooth side. "How much was left of her? Why just hair…?"

Sephiroth cocked his head in amusement. "Don't either of you want to know how she died?"

Vincent knelt beside Leira and held onto her right hand.

"I'll tell you, since I have the strong feeling that both of you were there!" Sephiroth grabbed the bottom part of his hair and swept off some dirt that was sticking to it. "It was back in the Northern Crater. Her second in command died that same day. Do you remember a SOLDIER by the name of Jody? Maybe, you both remember a parade of black cloaks heading for a cliff."

Leira and Vincent both glared at him.

"Jody was there too?! YOU MONSTER!" Vincent held Leira's wrist tighter in his hand and pulled her back to the ground before she could let into the man. "Easy, girl, let him explain…" He tried his hardest to keep her calm and maintain his hold on her.

Sephiroth squatted before them and shook his head. He let his hands fall between his legs. "They didn't jump…they never made it that far."

Vincent closed his eyes while Leira looked on. The dead man was able to recall Sephiroth's followers gathering at the Northern Crater preparing to reunite with Jenova. He remembered several of them plummeting off a cliff while others were not as lucky. A terrible fate awaited those that did not jump to their deaths. The dead man spoke up. "They were cut down by you!" He opened his glowing red eyes.

Sephiroth nodded grimly.

Leira had been on the Highwind during that time three years ago. Hojo decided to rejoin the Shinra organization at that point. She remembered how adamant he had been about traveling along with President Rufus Shinra as they followed Sephiroth to the Promised Land. The memories seemed like they had only happened days ago instead of years. One horrifying image in particular haunted her memory. Why were these memories becoming so clear to her now? Leira fought her hand away from Vincent and covered the sides of her face. She began to shake.

"What's happening to her?" Vincent's concern was overwhelming compared to the anger that had threatened to control him.

Sephiroth straightened and walked to the far side of the coffin. He was having a hard time watching Leira. "She's beginning to wake up."

_Leira rudely pushed Hojo aside and stood by the boy king. The hooded men had arrived at the Northern Crater. She watched as they solemnly marched to the top of a steep cliff. "What are they doing?" she asked him. _

_Rufus shook his head. "Let's wait and see." _

_Leira became aware that Hojo was hovering over their shoulders. What was he so interested in? _

_"MOTHER OF GOD!" Navig yelled from his station on the bridge. "DID YOU SEE THAT?!" His fellow pilots sat there with their eyes glued to the monitors in front of them. _

_"THERE GOES ANOTHER ONE!" The pilot to his left shouted. "AND ANOTHER, and another…and another…" _

_Everyone watched as the figures walked until they could not walk anymore. One by one, Sephiroth's followers walked off the edge of the cliff and fell to their deaths. _

_One of the crewmembers bolted out of his seat and ran to the President. "There's something on radar! It's right in front of us…" _

_Another black figure materialized before the Highwind. "Is that Sephiroth?" Rufus asked the scientist standing behind him. _

_Hojo rubbed his hands together. He was unconcerned about answering the boy's question. "After all these years." he mumbled to himself. "It's finally going to happen." _

_The strange man was indeed Sephiroth. The former general's long white hair blew about in the air as he lowered himself to the ground near the top of the cliff. He kicked a couple of his followers off the edge and pulled out Masamune. In a strange gesture, he began to dance around as he kicked and slashed the hooded figures. Suddenly he flew up into the air and carried himself further down the incline. The madman landed between two travelers, causing them to stop. _

_"What's he doing?" Rufus asked no one in particular. _

_Leira and the entire Highwind team were mesmerized as they looked on. _

_Everyone gasped in horror as Sephiroth kicked the figure to his left in the stomach. By the time, his foot touched the ground; he spun around and sliced him through the middle. _

_The airship's occupants watched as Masamune effortlessly cut the man in half. _

_Sephiroth was not done. He turned to face the other follower that stopped and smiled as bowed at the person. _

_Everyone's eyes were watching the monitors, as he appeared to exchange words with the unknown person. The other cloaked figures continued on their path of destruction while the two conversed. Strangely enough, the cloaked figure tuned its back to Sephiroth and started to walk down the hillside. Sephiroth nodded and folded his arms. _

_"How unusual." Hojo remarked. _

_The person had traveled at least twenty feet before Sephiroth changed his grip on the long sword and ran after him. With an unbelievably graceful twirl, he held out the six-foot blade so that it was parallel to the ground. His spin landed him directly in front of the escapee. He elevated a black-gloved finger and waved it from side to side. _

_"He's crazy!" shouted a pilot. _

_"Move the cameras in closer!" Rufus demanded. "I want a better shot!" The President was not happy with just being able to see people. He wanted to see faces too. _

_The surveillance team did as they were ordered. The cameras began to enlarge the images of the events that were happening on the ground several hundred feet below them. _

_In a split second, it was over. Sephiroth swung the blade out ahead of him and rushed into the man. He blew on his fingertips with his back to his victim. _

_The hooded figure split in half and crashed to the ground. The sudden movements caused the hood to fall back and reveal the person's blood spattered face and long blonde hair. _

"I toppled them both like dominos." Sephiroth said without the slightest hint of remorse. "Mr. Jody Mymians of Kalm, former SOLDIER First Class…number six, promoted to TE Midgar Second Class 65972 and let's not forget Miss Norelliies."

Leira was beginning to feel sick with the thought of being able to remember Norelliies' death so vividly. "I thought you loved her!"

"That's what I thought at first." A familiar voice echoed from the opening of the pit. A long black cable lowered into the hole and Ecka started to repel down it. "I should have also told you to stay the hell put!"

Sephiroth watched the girl touch down. "You were always full of surprises."

"Hmmph." She ignored him and stood before Leira. "This is Norry's coffin…what was in it?"

"I had a feeling you didn't know." Sephiroth tossed the medium sized bag of hair at her.

The young SOLDIER caught it. Her cocky attitude faded rapidly as she fondled the plastic sleeving. "This is a poor time to start being a funny man," she told Sephiroth.

"I found it in the coffin." Vincent offered.

Ecka dropped the bag and looked into the coffin for some kind of support. The plaque gleamed in the fire's light. "He told me that the medical unit picked up the pieces!" She blurted out. "THIS SHOULDN'T BE HERE!" she scooped up the hair sample and tossed it at Sephiroth.

Her former general cocked an eyebrow. "You thought Hojo would have burnt one of his most promising experiments?"

Ecka stomped over to him and spit in his face. "HOJO DIDN'T TELL ME SHIT!" she leveled an accusing finger at Leira. "HER UNCLE DID!" The girl started to feel dizzy again and sat on the ground at Sephiroth's feet. "He told me about my frigging number the same day I was discharged. He told me about what was going to happen to everyone that had a number, PERIOD. He told me…" Tears started to well up in the corners of her deep blue eyes. "It was the same thing with Jody too…I found his coffin a couple weeks ago…it was totally empty…there should have been ashes in it…"

Leira perked up slightly. "Do you know where Timal is?" she interrupted.

"Who?"

The thought that Ecka and Timal Klefmon might have never met suddenly occurred to her. "He was a SOLDIER First Class out of Wutai…number twenty nine…"

Ecka sniffled and rubbed at her eyes before shooting Leira a blank look. "Twenty nine…" After another sniffle, Ecka burst out laughing.

Sephiroth returned to squatting and studied the girl with interest. Leira on the other hand was becoming upset with the insensitivity of the young girl.

"What's wrong with you?" asked Vincent. He was beginning to feel out of place in the group.

"Twenty-nine…heee-heee-heee" Ecka chortled. "I'd almost forgotten about him. His coffin was destroyed when this place first caved in."

Leira gasped in horror.

"That was a good laugh, thanks!" Ecka said as she sniffled again and rubbed at her nose with her sleeve.

"What was so funny?!" Leira demanded as she stood hovering over the girl.

Ecka looked up at the Elite and smiled heartily. "Relax! His coffin was empty, too!"

Sephiroth was confused. "If his body was missing chances are he was cloned. That's not a funny thought, Trabian." Ecka winced at Sephiroth's use of her first name. "It could be very dangerous if Hojo got a hold of that corpse."

The twenty six year old pouted and folded her legs. "You'd know more about that than any of us…" she started to pull at her lips with her fingers. "The Wutai government came for the corpse a couple days after the autopsy was done. It never made it back here to Midgar."

"But it's on the map." Vincent pointed out. "It shows the coffin being here!"

Ecka was about to laugh again but thought better of it. "Yeah, the coffin was here. All that's left is a bunch of twisted metal…as I said; it was crushed. When Wutai found out about one of their own people dying they came to collect the corpse and take it back home."

"How do you know all this?" Leira asked.

"I've got a map hanging on my wall don't I?" she said sharply. "I don't know if you knew this already but this building may not have much in the way of power but the computer mainframe is still active. Rudah helped me access this stuff back at his place. The records showed that your guy had family left and they thought it would be best to send the remains home."

Leira remembered that Timal had a cousin who was a pilot for Shinra. "It must have been Benton." She thought to herself.

Trabian got to her feet and readjusted her tight fitting clothes. "Come on. This place is still in danger of collapsing. It'll be best if we head back to my lair. I can fill in any details there."

Sephiroth climbed the rope first. Deep in the back of his mind he tried again to remember the faces of those that had died and those that had been cloned."

Ecka climbed up second followed by Vincent.

Leira paused at the foot of the rope. She scratched her head. The thought of Jody and Norelliies cloned was difficult for her to imagine. She wondered if there was any chance that their clones would remember her. After a slow chant, a tiny flame claimed the last remains of Norelliies' existence. A tear fell down her cheek as the bag was quickly consumed.

When the hair became less than ash, Leira put her formal wear back on and waved out the hanging flame that used for light. She began her climb to the top.

"I told the other two to go ahead." Ecka had been waiting for her. "I want you to do me a favor…"

The Elite was stunned by how somber the normally irate girl had become. "What do you want from me?"

Ecka glanced at the ground. "If you're here and Sephiroth is here…that means I'm going to be going away…I can't exist anymore…"

"Ecka…what…what are you saying?"

"Everyone else has been cloned or cremated. Somehow, I don't think I'll be lucky enough to be cremated." She looked into Leira's green eyes and gave an awkward smirk. "Seeing you guys again was quite a wake up call…for a little while it got quiet and I was able to put everything behind me. I actually thought that I could move back to Kalm and be normal…"

Leira listened as the girl continued. "I don't have any family to come and take me away like your guy did…Hojo's goons are going to find me and that's that." She grabbed Leira's wrist. "I can't believe I'm asking you to do this, but I can't trust him!"

"What do you want me to do?" Leira felt obligated to help the girl. "Do you want me to…kill you?"

The little girl's face contorted. "ARE YOU CRAZY?! YOU TRIED IT ONCE BEFORE AND COULDN'T EVEN DO THAT RIGHT! The sad thing is you weren't even trying!" She coughed. "Actually, I plan on following you guys. It won't be long before those goons catch on to me. In the event that I die…" her voice quickly recovered its serious tone. "I want you to make sure they don't try and clone me. I was part of the Jenova project along with a good many of the SOLDIERs. Don't let anyone study this little body of mine…burn it."

"You're not going to die! You've made it this far!"

Ecka raised a hand and slapped Leira across the face. "I was just flat out lucky!!" With a huge sigh, Ecka embraced the Elite. She pushed her head into Leira's chest. "I'm an idiot for telling you anything…but I know you won't let me down."

Once Ecka and Leira arrived the men got up from the chairs that they had been sitting on and gathered around the two females. "I thought you might have killed each other." Vincent said slowly. Leira pushed passed the small gathering and sat down on Ecka's bed. What the girl had wanted her to do was not sitting well. How could someone so young be so sure of their own fate?

Trabian shook her head as Vincent and Sephiroth focused on her.

"Uhmmm, before I forget to mention it…while you girls were away we…got company…" Vincent had tried to sound as calm as possible so as not to alert anyone.

The little SOLDIER looked up in anger as Vincent began to point toward the entrance hallway. "That's not even funny!" she shouted. She did not see any one. Just as she began to relax, three figures in long black cloaks entered the room.

"I wasn't kidding."

One of the three figures towered above the rest. It had to have been at least seven feet tall and was extremely bulky. It calmly stood between its shorter companions.

"Congratulations." one of the cloaked people said in a feminine voice. "You found her, Lord Sephiroth. We were beginning to think that you had failed us."

"We were quite surprised to see that you found number seventeen also." The center creature stated with a strange growl.

Ecka pushed through the men and stood in front of the hooded people. "I am not going to let you take me," she waved a fist at them than turned to Leira and the others. "GET BEHIND ME!" She returned to the ones in front of her and smiled slyly. "Way behind."

Sephiroth turned and ran back towards the hallway they had traveled earlier. Vincent was not sure if Leira would follow so he put one of her arms around his shoulder and carried her away from the area.

The air became warm all of a sudden. Ecka began to call on her mastered fire materia once more. Her temper began to consume her and she slowly began to lift off the ground.

The creatures began to walk slowly towards her. "We don't need you alive."

"That's okay." Ecka huffed as she winked at them. "I never said I was going to go peacefully." Her chanting began to grow louder.

Sephiroth, Vincent and Leira could here her back in the tunnel.

"I think she's reached her limit!" shouted Vincent as the sound of crackling flames became audible in the distance."

Cid entered the airship. "Hey, Reeve there's some guys outside waiting for you…there's probably a good forty or so of them."

Yuffie pushed the pilot out of the way. "They aren't friendly either. One of 'em threw sand at me when I told him he was blocking my sun."

Cid rolled his eyes at the nineteen year old.

Reeve jumped to his feet. "They're here already!" He put a hand on Yuffie's shoulder. That's great. He pushed through them and ran out of the airship.

"What's up with him, cat?" Cid asked as he lit a cigarette.

Yuffie pushed some sand off her arms. "You'd think it was a girlfriend or something."

Cloud stood on the beach with the pink Mog. "I told you he's in the airship."

A tall man walked away from Cloud as soon as Reeve had set foot on the beach. "SIR!" he said and saluted with the rest of the armored troops.

"Guys, this is my private army."

"Nice of him to tell us." Yuffie pouted.

The lead man dropped his hand and approached Reeve. "We're going to Midgar, sir."

"Yes, general." Reeve acknowledged. "We're going to be traveling with these civilians."

"What about the clone, sir?"

"I'm sure we'll meet up with it later. I'm dead sure that we'll find more clones in the old trash heap." Reeve regarded Cloud for a second. "And general…"

"Sir?"

"Don't let the blonde kid out of your sight. He was part of Hojo's Jenova project."

"SIR!" The general addressed Reeve one last time before joining the rest of the army.

"Alright, men, let's be on our way!" Reeve shouted.

Within minutes, the army and Cloud's party had boarded the Highwind. The giant airship powered up and lifted off the ground bound for Midgar.

A ring of fire encircled the young girl as she hovered above the ground. The black-cloaked creatures started to back away slowly.

"WELCOME TO HELL ON EARTH PEOPLE!" Ecka threw her thin white arms out to the sides and cast her ring of fire outward. The strength of the blast flew at the beings and killed them instantly. The cloak of the center creature seemed like it was made of a sturdier material than the others. As the room began to cool down Ecka was lowered to the ground. Her dizziness was not going to keep her from studying the middle creature. She stumbled and ended up sitting beside the burning corpses. To her horror, the middle being did not look human. It was one of Hojo's other creatures. The monster had coarse gray fur and black horns. The cloak had burned off seconds after her blast. It was the creature's dark skin that had continued to burn.

The others ran in and surveyed the area. Sephiroth stood behind Ecka and glared at the large beast. "They really want me bad, to send one of those out." she coughed.

Sephiroth bent down and hoisted her up. "There's got to be more coming. Let's get out of here."

Vincent still had Leira in his arms. The Elite had returned to studying his materia again. As he carried her through the dark tunnel he asked her about which materia had been troubling her.

"You have Hades materia…" she answered. Where did you find it?"

The four of them were getting closer to the outside.

"Cloud was looking for an object that had been lost at sea. It was called the key of the Ancients. We accidentally found a sunken Gelnika while we were looking."

"You found it in a Gelnika? Did it have all kinds of toxic creatures roaming around?"

Vincent was curious as to where her questioning was leading. "Yes."

"Thank you," she whispered. "It was a gift to one of my best friends…he was Timal's cousin…Benton Navig. I gave it to him for good luck after Timal died…"

The light from the outside was coming in through the open passageway. Sephiroth and Ecka had already made it outside.

"You can take it back if you want…I had no idea." Vincent said calmly. "Oh…shit." Vincent cursed as he reached the outside. He set Leira down slowly.

"I'll keep that in mind," she told him.

Hooded creatures of all different shapes and sizes surrounded the entire area.

"Anyone got any good ideas?" Vincent asked.

A low moan came from the crowd. "Come with us." It said repeatedly.

"It definitely does NOT involve us standing still!" Sephiroth shouted to him. Sephiroth cast a strong ice spell that seared through a few members of the hooded group.

One of the creatures ran at Ecka. The girl released a small burst of fire into its face and knocked it to the ground with a sucker punch.

"Vincent…I think I'll be needing that materia back…"

The ex-Turk began to remove the tiny round gem from his bracelet.

More creatures were beginning to gather around as Ecka and Sephiroth did their best to lower the numbers.

Leira snatched her favorite materia from Vincent's hands. It had been so many years since she had seen the cursed item. Would she be able to summon him again? Leira could see an old man's face in the little red jewel. It began to speak to her. What was it saying? She moved her lips in time with the strange balding man. As she mimicked his facial movements, she began to add her own voice. The chant to activate the materia was coming back to her. With each ancient word the face in the materia twisted. The hair and skin began to disappear. Several seconds later, the entire reflection was gone.

"YEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAW! I KNEW IT!" Reeve shouted excitedly, almost falling from the railing of the observation deck. "SHE'S HERE!"

"YEAH, YEAH COWBOY, NOW GET BACK INSIDE! LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE'S CALLING OUT A REALLY NASTY SUMMON CREATURE!" Cid began to doubt how safe it was standing out in the open air.

Reeve clasped his hands together. Leira had to have been alive! She was the only one that could use that particular materia effectively. The president smiled to himself. It would not be long now.

The red ball lifted itself out of her hands and floated in the air along with Leira herself. She raised her arms high above her head and joined them at the elbows. The air stood still and grew dark. Leira brought her hands together just above her navel. Humans and creatures alike were eyeing her curiously. The only one that fully understood her actions was Sephiroth. He was motionless while he witnessed the materia overtake her.

Leira parted her hands violently. Her prayer was finished as a dark figure became visible. The god of pestilence studied the battlefield before him and emitted a drunken cackle.

Sephiroth grabbed Ecka by the shoulders and forced her into his coat. "We've been through this before, you remember the drill!" he shouted while ducking inside the black fabric with her.

Vincent had never before seen a sight like the one he was witnessing. He had summoned the Hades materia several times but it had never been that strong. Fearing the worst he covered his face with the cloak that hung around his shoulders.

The menacing laugh stooped and a black cauldron appeared. Hades waved his bony digits above the cauldron. Whatever was contained in the large vessel let out a putrid black smoke that continued to boil as the summon god's incantation ended. Hades glanced at Leira who had been staring at him in awe. "You did it right this time." he said in a calm grating voice before vanishing.

The strange brew spread around the area and quickly engulfed every one and every thing. Hojo's attempts at the perfect soldier gagged and wretched as they were overcome with multiple status ailments. Death came swiftly for the gray creatures that had not developed immunities to harsh elemental conditions.

Ecka peeked out from underneath Sephiroth's coat. "WE'RE ALIVE!" she shouted and jumped for joy. She remembered the last time she was in a situation where Leira had called on Hades. Her skin shook as she recalled puking with her entire unit as they tried to make their escape from a failed weapons deal. The illness did not last longer than a couple minutes but the nauseating aftertaste remained until they had safely returned to Midgar. Ecka grinned when she thought about the beating she had dealt Leira upon their return. "Do you think they're all gone?" the girl asked suspiciously.

Sephiroth stood up. The darkness had lifted and at least thirty creatures had fallen. "I…don't know."

"LOOK OUT!" Vincent hollered.

One of the surviving creatures jumped out from behind a pile of debris and collided with the girl. Leira felt weak in her legs and could barely stand. Vincent ran to her and helped her balance. At least forty more monsters had appeared. They circled Sephiroth and the others.

"I'M GOING TO FINISH WHAT I STARTED!" it growled into her hear. The creature let out a huge snort as it began to dive in for its latest bite. Ecka had suffered her chest being torn into by the very same mammoth being. Its black lips and yellow teeth were so close to her neck; she did not know what to do. Her future as a Sephiroth clone was almost certain. She sniffled as she remembered Zack's smiling face after one of his late night excursions. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" Ecka found herself apologizing for her position. She tried to kick out from underneath the wolf like beast in an attempt to break free but it was no use. The creature clamped a gigantic hand around her throat. "You won't live through this one!" it said as it showered her with its rank breath. "You'll be better as a clone!"

Suddenly numerous blasts crashed around the combatants scaring away several of the creatures and wounding several more. The Highwind cast a massive breeze over those that were caught below her massive turbine engines. Ecka watched as thin black ropes unraveled in their descent from the bikini goddesses' wings. Everyone was distracted by the airship's appearance.

The failed clone experiment turned back to her. "The cavalry will not help you!" it smirked.

Yuffie slid down one of the ropes with her oversized shuriken in hand. She tossed the large weapon and cut down two beasts

"YEEEE-HAWWW!" Cid burst out diving from the Highwind. The old pilot was overcome in the moment. He rolled his sleeves up as he beat back another Nibel monster. Cait Sith had also joined the battle. As he rode on the back of the oversized pink mog, he began to shout orders. The toysaurus slapped two more creatures around with its huge pink paws.

Vincent struggled to fire his weapon and maintain his attempt at keeping Leira from falling over.

Sephiroth decided to try to help the young girl but was suddenly stopped.

"Is is highness happy now that she will join us?!" A woman in a black cloak had crawled out from under a monster's corpse. A blonde lock of hair fell out of the hood that covered the female's identity.

"It can't be…" the man in black stammered. The ex-general had a slight idea about whom she was talking about. He regained his composure and let out a strong smile. Masamune was pulled from the sheath below its master's coat. "We'll see about that!" He ran into the being with the sword held high above his head. After one graceful slice the cloaked figure was no more. Sephiroth stood above his fallen prey for a few seconds. "How many more of you did they make?" A loud scream drew him out of his wondering. He recalled Ecka held down by one of the gray creatures.

Reeve pointed out an area of concern. He was watching Sephiroth make his way to some girl in an attempt to aid her. "Will you look at that?" he said flatly. "We can't let that happen!"

One of the uniformed men nodded. "LET'S GO LADIES!" his voice boomed.

The young spiky haired SOLDIER stood on the deck alone. He was torn between helping out his "mom" and the others and remaining on the Highwind. Deep in his heart he knew what he would see if he joined the fight. He had seen Leira upset before, while he served in Shinra, but was unsure of these new circumstances. Weakly he walked over to the door that led back into the Highwind. This situation had become too much for him to deal with. "Mom…I'm sorry."

Sounds of heavy footfalls echoed up the staircase ahead of him. It seemed that Reeve had just mobilized the assault team.

"OUT OF MY WAY!"

"MOVE!"

"IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA FIGHT YOU'RE PART OF THE PROBLEM!" several voices ordered as the boy was forced against a wall. A man in a black stopped and turned his black helmet towards him. "We've got your number!" he joked and continued after his teammates.

"What an asshole!" Cloud remarked. He could not bear witness to the events that were about to unfold below him. Was it the only fate of Midgar, to be known for merciless bloodshed and a crooked empire?

The ropes were alive again with all the black clad soldiers in Reeve's personal army sliding down them.

The creature above Ecka raised a huge claw as it prepared to end her life with one strong deathblow. The girl wrapped her hands around the gigantic wrist attached to her throat. Without any warning, the creature stopped and dropped its hand. The look on its contorted furry face was of confusion.

BANG

The broad back of the horrible monster erupted in a spray of black blood. The sockets beneath its eyelids began to flow with more blood. Ecka gained enough power to push the dead creature off her only to be greeted by an officer standing above her. "Leira, remember what I told you…" she muttered calmly to herself. "I told you I forgive you…just don't make me regret it." In her heart, she knew she was not going to make it out alive. At least this new foe would not be responsible for resurrecting her as a clone. She closed her eyes and laid her head back. "Zack, I'm coming to see you…" she whimpered. "I just hope you're decent when I meet up with you!"

A sound resembling a tiny gust of wind came from the soldier's weapon as he pulled the trigger.

Leira, Sephiroth, Vincent and Yuffie watched the bloody scene take place. Just like the blow that struck the beast dead, Ecka's body shook a little as the bullet lodged itself several layers below her skin. In less than a millisecond, it ignited. The chest cavity of the young girl burst open in a quick bloody fountain. What was left of her rib cage was now protruding from a red cavernous opening. Her eyes nose and ears let loose with warm red ribbons of blood.

Ecka's former general stood motionless above the corpses. A bizarre feeling was beginning to overtake him. His hands were beginning to shake. In a panic, he lodged Masamune into the ground and wrapped his fingers around its hilt. His long white hair slid down his shoulders and covered his face. Was he grieving for the young girl?

Leira could feel Vincent's fingers caress her face. Soon she would feel the smoothness of his shoulder against her. She had to give him credit, he was doing the best he could to comfort her. "It's happening again…" she whispered.

"What…?"

"Zack…It was just like this…" Leira was unable to utter another word.

"LET'S GO PEOPLE, THERE'S NOTHING TO SEE HERE!" The thunderous voice of one of Reeve's officers was enough to snap Sephiroth out of his mourning.

The general frowned as he watched a team of six men gather up the corpses in front of him. "I believe Reeve has told you how to dispose of them properly." He tried to make it sound like he was poking fun at them but his tone would not allow for humor.

"Yeah, Yeah! Just be thankful you aren't one of 'em!"

Three more soldiers appeared. "Hey you three! Get on board! Reeve wants to talk with everyone!"

Left without any choices the three were led to a basket that would take them aboard the Highwind.

From his seat on the Highwind's bridge, Reeve folded his hands. "That's one less worry. Great work, General!"

"You killed a little girl, Reeve!" Cloud banged his hand on the President's desk in disgust and dropped his buster sword.

"Well she's not exactly a little girl. She's only a couple years older than you…or…was."

Cloud stood silent. He could not believe that the new President had become this way. Reeve had seemed so peaceful and concerned with the state of the people he was representing. How could he so heartless?

The man in black that stood behind Reeve grinned merrily. "At ease, son. The mission was a success! Miss Thompson and Mr. Valentine are safe and Sephiroth is back in custody. All without incident!" He tipped the visor of his helmet with a black-gloved hand. "And if you really want to know, I'd say we put a good dent in in the clone and beastie population!"


	18. To Wutai And The Return Of A Lost Love 1

Reeve waited for everyone to enter the cargo hold. Once they were all down the steps, he cleared his throat. "Everyone, may I have your attention. You all did wonderful out there on the field. We scored a huge victory today."

"What does he mean 'we'?" Cid asked one of the members of the President's army. "That's what I thought." he covered when he knew he would not get a response.

"If anyone has any issues that they feel need to be addressed, please feel free to ask."

Yuffie slowly raised her hand. "Uhhhh, yeah, I was just wondering about those big creepy things out there."

Sephiroth regarded her with a haughty expression. "The gray creatures used to occupy pods in the Mt. Nibel reactor in Nibelheim. They used to be human but after time, the Jenova content they were fed changed them into monsters."

An echo of footsteps halted the meeting for a few seconds as two officers carried Ecka's corpse down the stairs. All eyes fell on the men as they passed through the room.

"Yeah, and who's the chick?" Yuffie tried not to look at the large red splotch that had formed on the white shroud that covered the body.

"She was no one important." Reeve offered. "Just an informant that I'd like to forget about."

Leira formed "informant" on her lips. She was still weak and confused.

Cloud shifted in his posture. "Reeve things aren't adding up. When are you going to come clean?"

The president shot Cloud a cold glare. "Dismissed!"

"That was bogus!" Yuffie huffed. I wanted to ask him about the hottie on the beach!"

Leira raised an eyebrow. "Yuffie…what 'hottie'?"

The little girl shook her fists. "He was awesome! Big muscles, killer tan, soft voice, black…" she turned beet red, "THONG!" She shuffled her feet a little. "He was tattooed but that's okay. HIS LOOKS MORE THAN MADE UP FOR IT!"

Sephiroth was caught between rolling his eyes and interrogating her. Instead, he disregarded her comments. He calmly approached Reeve. "All of us need to sit down and have a little talk." He gave a cold glare to the men in black. "Without your trained monkeys."

Reeve's shoulders sank. "Cloud, Cid, Cait, Leira, Vincent, Yuffie…we're going to meet in the med level. Whenever you're ready we'll hold a briefing."

"But, sir, the numbers!" one of his officers ran up to him.

"It's alright. You guys just worry about piloting the ship back to Junon when the ground forces finish planting the explosives."

Cloud's eyes flew open. "Explosives? Reeve what are you up to?" The question just barely made it out of his lips. The massive airship shook as the scrap pile known as the Shinra headquarters Midgar erupted into a fireball. Everyone onboard struggled to maintain his or her balance as the turbulence tossed the ship around.

"Freezer has been detonated, sir!" Reeve's general shouted.

"That was quick. Everyone's aboard than, let us be off! No one is going to be getting a hold of those bodies!" Reeve nodded to everyone and started for the med level.

One by one, Cid, Leira, Sephiroth, Vincent, Cait Sith, Cloud, and Yuffie entered the medical station. Ecka's corpse laid on one of the beds and Reeve was standing beside it. "This was one of my informants. Trabian Ecklarkaj, SOLDIER number 17."

"She was in SOLDIER?!" Yuffie had a hard time believing the President.

"She was indeed." Reeve conceded. "She was wounded in battle and couldn't continue to serve for Shinra. Against Hojo's wishes, we discharged her. He wanted her to stay in Midgar and be a test subject."

"Hmmph." Sephiroth spat.

"I vaguely remember hearing Zack talk about a girl called Ecka! That's her?!" Cloud questioned.

"She was part of the Jenova Project. Before I let her go, I told her about what she was. At that time, Shinra was fond of killing officers who could not carry out their duties. I let her live in secrecy as long as she helped me keep an eye on Hojo's other subjects. I hadn't heard from her in years, until Leira, Vincent, and Sephiroth showed up in Midgar."

"That's how you knew our exact location." Leira pointed out.

"Trabian called us when you showed up at the junk dealer's. My guards and I followed your summon materia to your battle. Thankfully you survived and brought a bunch of clones to daylight."

Vincent stared down at the body of the young SOLDIER. "Why did you kill her?"

"It's easy." Sephiroth rubbed at his chin. "Reeve saw the situation she was in and was afraid that she would be cloned like all the other SOLDIERs. What an easier way to keep track of her than to have her killed." He clapped his hands together. "Bravo, Reeve. Bravo."

"Okay, Reeve." Leira had her back to her uncle as she looked out a porthole. "Yuffie mentioned some guy with a tattoo. Who would that be?"

"He wasn't just _ANY_ guy!" the little ninja shrieked with glee. "HE WAS A COUNRTY DUDE!"

"She is just too hyper." Vincent said to Cid. "I can't believe you wanted to set her up with me…"

Reeve gave the appearance that he was trapped by his niece's question. "Leira…honey…I'm sorry…"

The Elite tried to figure out why her uncle's tone had suddenly changed. She observed him as her interest in the world outside waned.

"He was numbered…twenty nine…"

Cid stepped forward. "He just showed up on the beach as we were fixin' up the old girl. He wanted to know about you and Seph…"

Vincent's eyes widened. "That's the guy we were looking for…Timal Klefmon!"

"I had the feeling he was cloned." Sephiroth assured.

Leira's heart sank. What had seemed like such an easy mission was becoming quite personal and difficult. She massaged her brow. "Can I just have some time with her, alone?"

With a glance around, everyone grudgingly agreed to leave the medical station. Yuffie decided to stay behind with her friend. "So this is an honest to goodness SOLDIER?" The girl looked at the body lie out on the cot. "She looks kinda like someone I know."

Leira allowed a grin to show across her lips. "You look kind of like her…before she colored her hair and tried to look like Zack…that is."

"Oh, Cloud's friend in SOLDIER! Wow! Can't believe Cloud didn't know her. What do you think is going to happen to her?"

The Elite tried to think clearly, as she stared at Ecka's closed eyes. "I don't know…she made me promise to burn her…"

"That's awful! Why?!" Yuffie bent over Ecka's body. "Does she have any family? Maybe they'd like to know what happened to her."

Leira tried to think of a way to answer Yuffie. "She was orphaned when the Shinra Corporation accepted her into SOLDIER. She made me promise not to let her body fall into those beasts' hands."

"Hmmmm. That sucks." The little ninja patted her on the shoulder. "That twenty nine guy…Timal."

The Elite rested a hand on Ecka's stomach. "What about him?"

Yuffie looked out the porthole. "What if I told you that, since he looks like he's from Wutai, I could probably find him?" She paused for a second. "I could also give her some kind of burial…where sniff she'll be with friends."

Oddly enough, Leira found herself to be uncaring. She was afraid of what would be left of Timal's corpse. After uncovering the remains of Norelliies and learning about the possible fate of other bodies that had taken up residence in the place known as the Freezer, she found herself seriously thinking about throwing in the towel.

Yuffie sat beside her. "We're partners here. We've become compadres…I thought we did anyway…True, we've had a bit of distance these past few days…I like you."

Leira looked at Ecka's hands. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do now. I don't know what's going to stop everyone from turning out like her or Timal."

"You don't officially know what happed to him! He could still be alive! That could have really been him. Maybe he was just hiding out somewhere! He knew what names to ask for!"

"Yuffie, I wish that were true…I do…but it's not…"

The little ninja pushed her headband back a little further so her brown bangs started to fall out of it. "Yeah. You got good memories of him or somethin'?"

"He died on a freighter bound for Costa del Sol. We met outside the engine room…we were investigating a disturbance…we…were…ambushed by Jenova. She killed him."

Yuffie bit her lip. "Geez, girl. I'm sorry." She lowered her head. "I kind of remember somethin' like that happening. We were lookin' fer Sephiroth."

Leira briefly covered Trabian's hand with her face and stood up. "So were we." Her voice was emotionless as she left the room and Yuffie in the distance.

On the observation deck, Sephiroth stood alone. His long white hair fluttered in the breeze. The Highwind had been moving for a few minutes. He watched the black smoke spew out of the remnants of the Shinra Headquarters. "That won't stop them, Reeve. It's too late for that now. They've already gained enough numbers. You can burn as many of them as you want, there will always be replacements."

"Just not those."

Sephiroth shifted his glare. "True. They were already done anyway."

"You're just another one of them. There's probably several more of you." Reeve stood beside his enemy.

"I am the genuine article." Sephiroth stated uncomfortably. "I've just got a new breed of followers." He put his back to the railing and faced Reeve.

Reeve stared out at the black smoke. "Why did he go through with his meaningless plans? Shinra didn't need to go this far! The people had enough problems without all this!"

"Mother was quite convincing wasn't she? She took over everyone and made them into puppets. I was actually amazed to find that Hojo managed to make an exact likeness of me. I never knew who he was." Sephiroth bent forward and rested his head on his folded hands.

"Don't start sounding like you care! My family was part of Hojo's blasted experiment! Leira's father! My sister! The woman that you say you care about! She's part of this, too!" Reeve shook his fists. "All you can do is wonder about the life of ONE meaningless clone that almost destroyed everything!" Reeve shook his head and lowered his voice. "I can't believe you still call that damned creature 'mother'."

The ex-Shinra general shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey, Mr. President, can I have a minute of your time?" Yuffie stepped out onto the deck. She noticed the air rushing against her body and clung to the doorway. "It's important…and I want to do it someplace where I can look down on semi solid ground!"

"I guess we'll continue this later," said Sephiroth.

Yuffie looked at the man and pulled the bottom part of left eyelid down while sticking out her tongue. Reeve watched her and looked for a reaction from Sephiroth. There was none.

"Come on!" she grabbed the President by the arm and dragged him through the airship.

After passing the cargo hold, Reeve decided to ask about what she wanted with him. "Not now!" she grumbled, "We're gonna talk behind closed doors."

Leira walked out of the medical station and saw Yuffie dragging her uncle. Yuffie could see the puzzlement on her friend's face. "Don't worry; I've got everything under control." She winked to the Elite.

A couple seconds later, they reached the conference room. Yuffie kicked out the watchman and slammed the door behind him. "Don't look at me! Have a seat!" she pointed at a chair and forced him into it.

"I don't have time for games, little girl!" he protested.

Yuffie crossed her ankles and put her hands behind her back. "Everyone's a stick in the mud today, I tell ya!"

Reeve forced a smile. He knew how she reacted when people pretended to be positive. "Really, what do you want?"

"You can smile all you want, but you're gonna hear me out."

Reeve never dealt with this girl directly so he turned to face the wall and folded his hands. "Go on."

"Ahem," Yuffie cleared her throat. "Here's what we're gonna do, we're gonna go and find her friend. While we're at it, we're goin' ta give that other friend o' hers a ceremony!"

"How do you suppose we do this? Have you given any of this much thought?"

"Listen she may be family to you but she's a friend to me! We kicked ass together, way back when!" The girl jumped up on the table and let her legs dangle off the edge.

Leira could not figure out what Yuffie had wanted with her uncle. As puzzled as she was, she continued her walk to the chocobo stable. At least there, she might get a decent look at the spectacular view. She knew that if she went into the cabin, the cargo hold, the conference room, and the observation deck, she would not get the chance to be alone.

"Can I help you, miss?" asked the chocobo handler.

Leira looked into the room. "I just want to look outside, that's all."

"Go on ahead." he said.

Leira looked out into the darkening sky. She rested her arms on the windowsill. The sky was starting to turn pink. Night was beginning to fall. What was becoming of her life? Why was everyone that she had known dying around her? Was there any sense to it all?

Cid stretched out his arms. The sight around the control room was confused at best. To every crewmember sitting at the instrument stations there was a man in black armor staring over their shoulders. No one was allowed to move without first asking the man beside him.

Vincent crossed his arms. The only one who did not seem to be bothered by the intrusion was Cait Sith. The ex-Turk watched the screen before him while keeping an eye on the pink mog.

Cait Sith bounced over to him. "Hey, Vince, have you seen Cloud or Yuffie?"

The dead man shook his head. "Not that I can recall. Why?"

"It's nothing, just curious."

Below decks, a couple of Reeve's soldiers had gathered. One of the men was pointing to the ground while the others began digging through personnel lockers. Cloud did his best to stay hidden. He was not sure of the role that these men played.

"There's nothing else here, sir." said one officer. "We've got the corpse but that's it."

A tall masked man walked over and stood beside him. This man's uniform was all leather with a similar helmet and tall black boots. He put his gloved hands together and cracked his knuckles. "I want to know who took down Redo. Keep looking!"

"Yes, sir!"

The officer in charge moved his head from side to side. He opened another locker. "What is it with these damn megaphones?" The latch on another locker lifted. Cloud's buster sword was inside. "Look's like we've got more Shinra in here."

The others ran into another part of the Highwind while the commander glared at the large Buster sword. A streak of red was observable on the double-edged blade.

"Hello." Cloud said.

The black face shield turned to him. "There's no admittance on these levels. You need to be back upstairs, boy."

"That's my weapon." Cloud hated being called boy.

"It'll be right here when we land."

The spiky haired youth smiled. "I'm not worried about that. Who's Redo?"

The helmeted man shook his head. "There's someone on this ship who does not belong. If I were you, I'd just turn around and go back to the upper levels and pretend that none of this ever happened."

Cloud's smile dropped. He was not aware that one of the other soldiers had noticed him and circled back. Slowly the soldier raised his rifle above his head and brought it down against the boy's skull.

The man in leather grinned underneath his helmet as Cloud's eyes shut and he dropped to the ground unconscious. "People are just getting too nosey these days. Move him somewhere else."

Yuffie popped a piece of chewing gum into her mouth and kicked her feet back and forth.

"What do you care about some SOLDIER? The girl was meant to be one of Sephiroth's followers. She carried Jenova within her and was supposed to be part of that damn reunion!"

The little ninja swallowed her gum accidentally. "She was?" Yuffie was completely baffled.

Reeve hid his face in his arms. "That's what they were supposed to do when the time came."

She slid off the table. "I don't care." Her fists were clenched tightly at her sides. "I want there to be a ceremony for her and the other guy. Everyone seems to think he's from my home. I want us to head to Wutai."

"You want what?" Reeve was out of the chair and in her face.

"I keep hearing things about clones and stuff. For someone to get cloned, don't you need pieces of a person to do it?"

"More or less, yes." Reeve attempted to figure out the little one's way of thinking.

"Leira said that she made a promise to burn the body. I guess she won't be cloned if that happens. Catch my drift?"

A knock sounded on the door. "Geez, no privacy." Yuffie grumbled. She strode to the heavy door and cracked it open. "What?" The next thing she saw was blackness on the other side. She backpedaled from the shock of having the darkness materialize out of nowhere.

The figure clad in black leather pushed open the door.

"Lieutenant, what can I do for you?" Reeve asked.

The helmeted figured watched the frightened girl. "Sir, one of our officers has been killed. The body contained severe injuries caused by sword. The weapon in question was discovered below decks. We have not discovered the culprit yet."

"What type of sword?" Reeve thought back to the blade that Sephiroth had carried with him.

"The one called Cloud Strife has been taken into custody. The weapon in question belonged to the former Shinra. We have taken all necessary measures to insure the safety of the crew and passengers."

"Not Cloud!" Yuffie let out. "He's not a murderer!"

Reeve stroked his chin. The notion of the former Sephiroth clone being a murderer was foreign to him. "The ships doctrine calls for us to set the Highwind down at the nearest land mass."

Yuffie flashed a toothy grin at the men and pushed two fingers into their faces. "That would be Wutai!"

Reeve looked into the lieutenants concealing face shield. "I guess we'll settle everything when we land."

The little ninja rushed over to a corner and picked up a microphone. She punched in a couple buttons and had begun to carry on a conversation with her homeland's representative. "Hey. Pop, it's me. Guess who's comin' home!"

"Well, as long as everything is settled. I'll be leaving you, sir," said the lieutenant. The leather-clad man saluted Reeve and walked out of the conference room.

Reeve examined the man as he marched out of the room. Something was strange but he was unable to put his finger on it.

Yuffie began to shout in her native tongue and bounced up and down. "Look, I just want a damn funeral for the friends of my FRIEND!"

It had almost slipped Reeve's mind that the girl was of Wutai heritage.


	19. Reunited

Leira left the empty chocobo stable and walked towards the conference room. Sephiroth had descended the stairs. The two stood eyeing each other from a distance.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her.

"I guess I'll be alright. How was the air out there?"

Sephiroth removed his coat and folded it. "We're over Wutai. I haven't been there in years. It brings back memories."

Leira shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, I guess it does."

"Is Vincent around?" Sephiroth raised an eyebrow.

Leira realized that he was trying to make small talk with her. She shot an awkward glare at him.

Without any notice, the door to the conference room opened and an angry Yuffie was cursing up a storm behind the lieutenant. "He is not a fucking killer!" she hissed.

The man stopped as he bumped against Sephiroth. There was a brief silence as the helmet moved around Sephiroth's being. The shoulders seemed to drop for half a second than rose again. "Maybe you should take a look at the murder weapon," came the soldier's deep voice.

The man continued to walk as Yuffie stood between Leira and Sephiroth. "What a mean ass!" she cursed.

Leira raised an eyebrow. "What was that about?"

"That jackass said that Cloud murdered someone! That can't be right!"

Sephiroth looked down at the girl. "Did they find any proof? Where's the body?"

"The body was shoved into a locker. One of my men saw blood on the floor and decided to open it."

The three turned to the voice. A man stood behind them. Reeve had constantly called him general. The man had his helmet off and tucked underneath one arm. "We haven't been able to determine the time of death but the blonde kid's weapon had blood from the body on it."

"He couldn't have done it!" Yuffie spat.

Sephiroth considered the thought of Cloud killing one of the men in black. "Can we see the body?"

The general's cracked dry face was expressionless as he pondered the ex-Shinra's request. "It's still downstairs. Just tell the boys Sasha sent you." The general walked into the conference room leaving Yuffie, Sephiroth, and Leira to mull over the vents.

"He's not a murderer." Yuffie spat.

Down in the locker room the body had been carefully removed. As two men studied a long gash made by the blade, two more were studying the height and weight of the man called Redo.

"I can't believe someone killed him for his clothes." Said a man sitting at the corpse's feet.

Another man lifted off his helmet. "Looks like they tried to take his head off."

"Redo didn't hurt a flea," said a third person as he wrapped a special tape around the forehead. "Man, poor guy's got a big helmet too. I wonder who could fit so well in his uniform."

"One stinkin' kid couldn't have taken him down. That Strife kid is only five somethin'." Redo's six somethin and over two hundred pounds." The man at the corpse's feet removed his helmet and rubbed his brow.

"Heads up guys." one of Reeve's military personnel was on his feet and pointing at Leira and the others.

"Wow! He's nakee!" Yuffie grinned.

Sephiroth shook his head and walked over to the group. He noticed the trail of blood from the locker where the body had been kept. "This seems like some bad murder mystery," he announced.

"Cloud supposedly did this?" asked Leira.

"Yes, ma'am." two of the officers said in unison. "There was no one down here to see anything. That's the only thing we're concerned over. That and the uniform is gone. We've got the kid detained in a holding cell. We are NOT allowing any visitors!"

Leira observed the corpse on the ground. She leaned in closer to Sephiroth so that her front was against his left side. His eyes moved up and down as he felt her. Leira put her lips to his ear. "I have a strange feeling about this. Isn't it odd that things are happening like this?"

Sephiroth nodded slightly.

A klaxon sounded and a yellow light flashed throughout the ships interior. "We're landing already?!" one of the examiners shouted.

Sephiroth and Leira were surprised. "Oh, yeah" piped in Yuffie. "We're lading in Wutai! We gotta head to the above decks." Without any further word, she ran off up the stairs. She was content with being able to carry out a couple of Leira's wishes.

For the rest of the evening the Highwind's crew and passengers remained aboard. The ship was locked tightly and access to the outside world was denied to everyone wishing to leave. Reeve did not want to risk anyone else being killed.

Inside the locker room, the man in black leather removed his helmet. He sat on the ground with his legs folded. The heavy suit seemed like second nature to him. He was happy that the man he had killed had his same proportions. He did not care about how long it would be before he was found out. His mission was clear. His only concern was to serve his master. Besides, he thought to himself, he would be able to ditch the stolen clothes and make use of another wardrobe once access the outside was granted.

When morning broke, Leira left Ecka's bedside. She could still hear Sephiroth and Yuffie pestering her about sleeping so close to a corpse. She had made a promise. Leira examined the girl's body and made sure that nothing had changed. Aside from a clean white sheet that Leira had provided, the girl remained the same.

"Wake up sleepy head." Yuffie laughed. She tapped Vincent on the shoulder. The ex-Turk did not share the same grudges as Yuffie and Sephiroth. He had joined Leira in her evening vigil.

Vincent got off the floor and gave a hand up to the Elite. Yuffie jumped up and down and ran in place. "Reeve's head man is going to escort me to my pop's. If you guys wanna come…"

Three of Reeve's men walked into the room. Two of them grabbed the corpse of the young SOLDIER while the lieutenant looked on. "Uhmmm, yeah," said Yuffie, They're gonna bring her, too."

"If Ecka's going to be moved than I'm going along." Leira pulled her overdress back on and pulled her boots over her feet.

Vincent put a strong hand on Leira's shoulder. "Of course you know I'll be with you."

Leira gave a nod. Yuffie, on the other hand, was not as positive. She felt a lump in her throat form at Vincent's words. "Uh, yeah, Vin…cool…" With a quick wave, she ran out of the room.

Leira lifted an eyebrow. "Why is she so nervous around you?"

Vincent leaned against the porthole and stared out at the blue Wutai sky. "A little over three years ago the Tiny Bronco crashed right outside of this island."

"You don't say."

"That was shortly after our first meeting with Cid. Cloud, Cid, and I, were searching for Sephiroth and found a need for a different kind of transportation."

Leira remembered her awkward experience aboard the airplane that Cid had dubbed. "If memory serves me right, you were shot down. Rufus had been going the wrong way. I was there…with…Navig…"

Vincent was startled at this new revelation but pushed on with his explanation. "After we used the stupid thing for a boat we ended up here. As soon as we got out of the plane, SHE came running out. SHE was in such a hurry."

Lieandra found herself feeling happier. She noticed Vincent's anger toward Yuffie surface. His eyes glowed each time he talked.

"Barret came running out of the Tiny Bronco and pointed out that SHE had stolen all of our materia…not only did we have to try and catch up with HER and fight the native monsters…ON TOP OF THAT…what's so funny…?" the angered man found himself asking in a small voice.

Leira sat down on the ground. She could not take Vincent's line of story telling anymore. She hugged herself around the waist and burst out laughing.

Vincent bent low to examine her. He could not understand why she was in hysterics. "We had to defeat Shinra and Don Corneo without our materia…"

The woman's body began to convulse. She threw her arms out and wrapped them around his waistline. Her laughing was so strong it made her lose her balance. She fell forward and found her tear soaked face pushed into his thighs.

Vincent stopped talking completely. It was best to let her get it out of her system, he thought.

Minutes later, Leira had stopped her laughing fit. She gazed upwards into Vincent's eyes. Her face was red and tear stained. "I'm sorry." she chuckled.

With a dazed look, Vincent accepted her apology.

Reeve entered the med level just as Leira had gotten to her feet. "Yuffie is waiting for you."

The three of them traveled up to the observation deck. It seemed like a flood of men were pouring out of the giant airship. Leira observed men enter the village with Cloud between them.

The spiky haired boy looked back at his "mother". Her face was so filled with sorrow it began to hurt him. He managed to force a smile as his captors called for him to keep walking.

Leira felt something brush against her. Sephiroth had diverted her attention.

The ex-Shinra general had switched clothes and had donned dark tinted sunglasses.

"Just what are you doing? Aren't you coming with us?" the Elite asked.

"No." was the straightforward answer.

"Why?" asked Vincent.

Sephiroth's emotions seemed hidden by his sunglasses. "I have to go somewhere…I have to pay a visit to a…special place."

Leira's eyes shifted. "What was that?"

The tall general ran his hands through his long white hair. "I'll join Ecka's procession. I'll be there for the SOLDIER's ceremony, too. Soon, you'll be able to come with me…"

Leira and Vincent were awestruck by Sephiroth's exit.

"That was depressing." spat Yuffie.

Neither of them had been aware of Yuffie's presence. Wherever Sephiroth was heading, Reeve was not far behind.

"I didn't think your uncle could stand him." Vincent said pointedly.

"Neither did I," said Leira.

Yuffie elbowed them and pointed to the men carrying Ecka's body. "Let's go! They're heading to the temple!"

Once the mini-procession had left the Highwind, Leira, Vincent and Yuffie examined the body's handlers. Reeve's soldiers were dressed civilian clothing. There seemed to be nothing special about them. All of the men were dressed in black t-shirts and denim pants. All of them but one.

"I saw Reeve's general head into town after he opened up the ship." Yuffie whispered. "He was dressed like the other guys. "Wonder what his problem is."

Leira glanced at Vincent. "What makes him so different?"

Vincent shrugged his shoulders.

The lieutenant was still dressed in his black leather uniform and helmet. His hands were folded behind his buttocks as he walked in between the body's carriers and the three teammates.

Leira was in awe at the mysterious island known as Wutai. The monolithic mountain known as Dao Chao astounded her with all its carvings. The village's old red buildings decorated both sides of a small stream that seemed to split the town in half. "This is where Tseng, Timal, and Navig used to live," she thought to herself.

"Poppa lives toward the ancient part." Yuffie declared.

The group passed by the village tavern. "Yuffie, isn't that the large urn you tried to hide in the last time we were here?" Vincent pointed.

Yuffie blushed and squeezed her fists together. "ONWARD." she gritted her teeth together and pressed forward forcing the dead man's words behind her.

"Lieutenant, we can take the body the rest of the way. General Tate told us that the locals here don't like people in uniforms too much. You might want to go ahead and get on your civilian togs." one of Reeve's men said.

The lieutenant muttered something under his breath and stormed off in the opposite direction. "Wonder what the matter was?" snorted the other officer.

"I don't know. Everyone's been on edge since Redo was murdered."

The group stopped outside of another large red house. "This is my dad's house." Yuffie's face was nothing but a huge grin. She ran in front of the soldiers. "Me first!"

She ran up the wooden steps and banged on the large brown door. "Dad! It's me! Your loving daughter!"

No answer. She pounded the door harder this time. "HELLO! HELLO!"

One side of the huge double doors opened. A man dressed in gray stepped out. "Why, miss Yuffie! So good to see you! You two can go ahead and put the body in the room I've set aside.

Reeve's men nodded and pushed passed the man.

"Hey, kids!" yelled a voice from inside. Cid stepped out of the building followed by Cait Sith.

"We've been waiting for you guys! Reeve and Sephiroth haven't shown up yet." Cait Sith purred.

"Welcome to Wutai." Said Yuffie's father, Lord Godo Kisaragi. "Yuffie called ahead and said that we should be expecting your materia…er, um, I mean company! Expecting your company!"

Leira eyed Yuffie suspiciously before returning her attention to Godo.

"I trust that you will make yourselves at home in our wonderful town. Wutai has taverns and…"

"That's just what I wanted to hear." Leira muttered as she left the temple. She felt unwelcome here. Shinra always had a small presence in Wutai but since the war, they had become less welcome. She wondered if it would have been worse by her boss, Tseng, defecting from his homeland to become a Shinra agent. She could remember entering his office and seeing no traces of his homeland. His home carried no indications of his heritage either. The only evidence of where he was from was the marker on his forehead, his long rich black hair, and of course, his slanted eyes. She shook off the thoughts of him. Remembering people in her life that had long since passed made her uncomfortable.

Leira felt bad about leaving her friends behind. "To late to turn back now." she muttered. Her reflections of the funerals, the murder and Cloud's arrest began to weigh heavily on her. She had almost made it back to the Highwind when something caught her attention.

"Dude, I tell ya, let me handle the ball and chain." She heard a male voice say as it passed behind her.

"I don't know, Wren, she gets kind of pissed when you come up with your ideas." Another voice replied.

Leira stood there for a couple seconds. "Wren?!" she whispered. She rolled that name over and over again in her mind. She quickly turned to see where the voices were coming from. No one. There was no one behind her. "I couldn't have been hearing things." She thought. Just then, she noticed the doors to the Turtles Paradise swinging. Leira ran over to pub and went inside.

She pushed the swinging double doors open and glanced around. Suddenly she felt her heart race as she saw two familiar people sitting at a table in the farthest corner of the pub. There, sitting with their backs to the door, were two of her dearest friends from the past. She slowly made her way over to them. The stealth training she had undergone as an Elite always came in handy when creeping around without being detected.

Lieandra looked to her left. One of the men had short disheveled red hair on his head with a long rat-tail just above his neckline. The other was bald and had dark skin coloring. She slowly wrapped her fingers around the long red queue of the man on the left and gave a swift tug.

"Holy shit!" shrieked the man as he went reaching up to free his hair. The man to her right quickly pulled out a Glock 21 handgun and jumped to his feet. Just before he could take aim, Leira let go of the rat-tail and knocked the gun to the side. With her, other hand she stuck out two of her fingers and jammed them into the man's sunglasses. "Poing!" she said as she pushed them back into his face.

"Hold it right there!" said the red headed man as he stood behind her gun in hand and ready to shoot.

Leira cocked her head back and closed her eyes. She heaved a sigh as a smile crossed her lips. She craned her head around to face him and swung her left hand out to grab the gun from him. With lightning fast reflexes, she wrenched his weapon away from him and pushed her right hand out, palm heel first, to rest just below his chin.

Her eyes narrowed as she peered over the top of her fingers into her attackers blue eyes. She smiled at him. "Fancy meeting you here, Wren. You too, Rude"

"Reno, is that…?" Rude adjusted his sunglasses. He thought he was seeing a ghost.

Reno put his chin down into her open palm. "Lei."

Leira withdrew her hand and moved in closer. "What are you guys doing here?" she asked. The two men looked at each other and shrugged.

"We've kind of been put on permanent vacation." Said Rude finally as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, there isn't much of a market for Shinra anymore." Reno agreed. "Anyway, where the hell have you been, girl?"

Leira stared at her ex-lover.

"Something wrong, Wren?" asked Leira menacingly.

Rude glanced at Reno. He had never seen his closest friend so upset.

"No…No, I'm fine." Reno slowly responded.

"I don't think you are." The Elite persisted. "In fact I'd say that your past is catching up with you also, just like mine."

Reno began to back away. "You remember? Reeve's drug didn't work…"

"Why did you leave?" Leira scowled.

"Reno is everything okay?" Rude was dumbfounded.

Reno had been hoping that this day would never have come. In his heart, he still loved Leira but that love seemed to have a huge price put on it. On this day he was once again faced with a fight or flight decision. He remembered just about everyone, that had gotten close to her, had died. President Shinra, Klefmon, Navig, Tseng and Rufus were all dead. He did not want to be the next. Reno backed himself into a corner of the tavern and collapsed to his knees. "Reeve's still alive, isn't he? Sephiroth didn't get him, too, did he?!" tears started to well up in his eyes.

Leira knelt down beside him and gently stroked the side of his face. "He's still alive. My uncle's here in Wutai."

"He told you everything. Didn't he? I had to leave. I didn't want to leave you. I was scared." Reno had never expressed any of his fears to her before.

Leira took it in stride. "I know you didn't." She cradled him in her arms to try to comfort him.

"Lieandra are you in there?" A voice from outside broke the reunion.

Reno's head perked up as a tall figure walked into the tavern. The stranger wore an open long light green button down tuxedo shirt over a plain white blouse, black pants and thigh high black leather boots. The dim lighting of the inn prevented Reno from seeing the face of the new arrival. As the man strode over to them, Reno noticed that the man was wearing dark tinted sunglasses much like his own.

"Oh, there you are, Leira." The man said casually. Reno dusted himself off and stood up. "Hello, to you too, Reno."

The red headed man looked at him. "You know me?" He said with a hint of confusion.

"Of course I do." The man answered. "It's me. Sephiroth." Sephiroth removed his sunglasses to reveal his cat like eyes.

The Turk was visibly shaken. He tried to back further away but there was nothing but wall behind him. "Don't touch me!" he shouted.

"What is going on here?" said a female voice near the exit. "Are you bringing more trouble to my establishment, Reno?"

Leira grinned. The last piece of the Nibelheim puzzle had been found. From where she stood, Tifa Lockheart, was nothing more than a godsend. The Elite walked up to the twenty three year old girl with her hand outstretched.

Tifa took her hand and shook it slowly. "And you are?" she asked.

"I'm Leira Thompson. I'm a friend of Cloud's from his Shinra days." The Elite introduced herself. "You are, Tifa Lockheart, formerly of the terrorist group Avalanche."

Much to everyone's surprise Tifa did not flinch.


	20. Peaceful Cohabitation

Rude maneuvered himself between the two women. "Lei, this is my girl. She's not into the terrorist stuff anymore."

"She's gonna love this one." poked Reno.

Sephiroth was at Leira's side. "Hello, Tifa… You haven't changed much."

Tifa Lockheart immediately took up a fighting stance. "Rude, I kept telling you he was nothing but trouble." Her short blue dress was pulled tighter against her curves. Her long hair swung from side to side as she rose her fists in the air. "You're supposed to be dead! Haven't you caused everyone enough trouble already?!"

"This was hardly my doing." Sephiroth stuck his hands in his pockets.

Tifa wrinkled her nose. "As for you." she focused on Leira. "I knew Shinra would come for Rude someday. You're not going to take my husband from me without going through me first!"

The Elite frowned. Husband?! She looked over at Reno who forced a small childish grin. He waved his left hand at her. Did Tifa mean Rude or Reno?

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH BEAT RUSH!" Tifa bellowed and ran at Leira. The girl punched left. Leira stood in place but leaned right. The girl punched right. Leira leaned left.

Lockheart was not finished yet. "SOMERSAULT!" she yelled. Her left foot lifted off the ground and flew at the Elite.

Leira was aware of Tifa's limit attacks. She knew what would happen if she were to continue to stand still. Casually, despite her confusion, she slapped the girl's foot out of the way and punched her in the stomach.

Tifa fell to her knees and looked at the woman. "I'm not through yet!"

Leira squatted and rubbed her hands together. "I'm not after Rude." She commented. "I already found my target." she stuck a thumb at Sephiroth.

Tifa whimpered as Rude helped her to a standing position. "Honey," she said, "we really need to talk about your friends." She patted down her dress and scowled at the Turk.

"I know dear…" Rude pulled at his black necktie.

"Dear?!" Leira looked at her former employer. "Don't tell me you guys are…"

"We were married months after Meteor." Tifa said wiping a bit of saliva from the corner of her mouth. The Elite hit her harder than any mother could have.

Leira's jaw hung low. Her green eyes bulged at the thought of Rude taking a wife. She recalled all the times she had escorted him and the other male Turks to every seedy strip club Junon had to offer. "Oh, my heart!" she howled as she put her hands to her chest in mock cardiac arrest.

Leira spun on her heels and forcefully grabbed Reno by his black necktie. "YOU better not have married…"

A scream came from the entrance of the Turtles Paradise. Sephiroth, Leira, Reno, Rude, and the other patrons shot up from their tables and counter tools. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO, YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE HERE!" Yuffie slapped her hands to her cheeks. She ran over to Reno and stuck a finger into his chest. "Go away! Leave her alone! You lied to me!"

Sephiroth gave a dark chuckle as he watched Reno's reaction. The scene before him played out like so many occasions from his past.

"Honest, Yuffie, I was going to leave but Rude…he, he, he…he wanted to stay!"

"That's it, go ahead and blame it all on my husband!" Tifa joined Yuffie in finger pointing.

Leira slapped a hand on Reno's shoulder and yanked him away from the two women. She pushed her face into his. Leira was one of the few women that Reno could stand eye-to-eye with. "What's with you and the kid?" Leira tapped her fingers against her elbows. "I won't get mad."

"Don't fall for it, Reno!" Rude yelped. "I've heard that same thing before!"

Tifa slapped the back of her husband's head, beckoning him to be quiet.

Reno was at a loss for words. "Well…Yuff an' I…we kinda hooked up for a bit…"

Leira glared at her former lover. She seemed to be devoid of any emotion. Her eyes slid over to Yuffie.

"It's true…it didn't last very long. Trust me." the little girl shouted and held her hands out. "He's such a creep!"

Reno tugged at his long queue.

"He told me that he didn't have a girlfriend or anything…" Yuffie spat.

"Well, Lei…y'see…you and I…we were broken up…"

The scene was too pathetic for Sephiroth. "Funny, Reno, you're not that much younger than myself." he announced with a grin.

"Shut up, old man. I figured it was her or Elena!"

Yuffie's jaw dropped at his comment.

Leira fixed the red headed Turk with a cold glare. She clenched her left fist. "That's right…"

WHAM

Leira's punch sailed through the air and laid Reno out. She shook her fingers and stormed out.

Sephiroth hovered above Reno and pocketed his hands. "Still a big hit with the ladies." he smirked and followed Lieandra.

Leira looked toward the sacred mountain, Dao Chao. All the carvings etched into the brown stone added to the mystery of the island. The surroundings became so familiar to her. She felt like she had visited that same area only as someone else. Her head glided from side to side. It was toward the eastern point of the island where she had served as an assistant general to Sephiroth. It had been herself, Sephiroth, Zack, and Ecka during that mission, ten years ago.

Pale hands pushed themselves along her shoulders. Leira arched her neck.

"Mae Mae and Tsing Mae." The site of the failed mission never entirely washed from her memories.

She relaxed as the fingers rubbed at her collarbones.

"It's quite something that we should all land here for Trabian's funeral."

Leira had nothing to say during the stranger's talk. The sun continued to gently beat down on her skin.

"I guess they've moved the prison since the last time we were here," she said trying to block him out.

"There's another part of this island that I will have to show you sooner or later. I visited while I left you with the girl. Yuffie has no idea…and neither do you. I'm willing to bet that you will remember it…or at least hearing about it." Sephiroth continued to massage her joints. It was not one of the happiest memories, but it was substantial for the both of us."

The riddles were growing old coming from Sephiroth. Was it so hard for him to be outright with his plans?

"So, are you happy being mister tour guide?"

Sephiroth's eyelids shut as his fingers worked her shoulders. It was not as easy as he thought it would be to win her affection.

"Did you and Reeve go to the same place? I'm sure the two of you talked." It was Leira's turn to ask questions.

"I should have waited." he mused. "I should have known that it would have also been the first place he would want to see."

Leira turned as his hands slid from her. "So why don't we go there now?"

Sephiroth shrugged. "It's not time yet. You need to see your friends first."

The doors to the tavern flew open and Yuffie stormed out. She nabbed Leira by the elbow and dragged her away from Sephiroth. "I AM SICK AND TIRED OF DEALING WITH MEN TODAY!"

Leira attempted to try and free herself from the mad girl's grip. Nothing worked.

"Uh, Yuffie…" The scenery flashing past her was frightening Leira.

"YEAH, WHAT?"

"It won't be long before you…"

WHUMPF

"Never mind."

Yuffie had been careless and did not see a passerby until it was too late. The two collided and lay sprawled out in the dirt. The little ninja jumped up. "WHY DON'T YOU LOOK WHERE I'M GOIN'?!"

Leira offered a hand to the young man her companion had bowled over.

"Thank you," he said. The youth looked to be in his early twenties. A tiny red dot was visible above his eyebrows. Dark purple robes hung from his thin frame and a black turban hid much of his head. "Yer from the south side ain't ya?" Yuffie turned her head at an angle.

The young man nodded at her. "Yes. I'm looking for the spiritual leader of this place."

Leira put a hand up to her mouth. "How can you tell where he's from? Is it how's he's dressed?"

Yuffie copied her companion. "NAH. It's the dot on his forehead. All the men wear them." She winked at Leira. "It's from their girlfriends poking them on the head. Yelling for them to SHUT UP!"

The man staggered backwards at the girl's sudden yell.

She giggled childishly "The dot's just to mark them. He's part of the higher class. Anyway, stranger," the little girl started.

"Phiphat." said the youth.

"Whatever. If you're looking for the head honcho, you can come with us. That's where we're headin'."

"We are?" Leira was confused.

"You are?" the young man did not miss a beat.

While they traveled to Godo's palace Yuffie could not contain her curiosity. "So. What do you want to see pops for?"

Phiphat stopped and fell behind the girls. "You're…the spiritual leader…he's your…?"

"Yeah. He's my dad."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know…"

Leira grinned at the boy's humiliation. "It surprised me too, when I first heard about it."

The three continued walking. Yuffie never got her answer until they entered the residence.

"Ah, Yuffie. I'm afraid you missed the others. They went back to your ship for a briefing. We're going to do anything we can to free Cloud." Godo shouted from a room. He had heard them walking through the hallway. The nightingale floors were typical of Wutai's royal palaces. Because of how the floorboards were nailed down, the boards would shift causing them to chirp like a bird.

"Balancing the books again, huh, Pops?!"

The meaty bearded man squinted at his daughter before returning to squiggling down figures in his ledger. His oversized red feather pen dashed from left to right as he contemplated the year's outlook on materia trade. A large gray eyebrow lifted and his brow crinkled. "What's he doing back here? First you people want to me to hold a burning for someone that's not even from Wutai, next you want to me to try and find a way to get that SOLDIER's charges dropped…and do not get me started on trying to find the bodies of the two that you claim to be from Wutai…they weren't part of my army!"

Everyone's attention was drawn to the boy.

"Oh, you mean Pippy here." Yuffie poked her thumb at their companion.

"That's Phiphat…" said the boy.

"Whatever." Yuffie ignored him

Phiphat walked to the emperor's desk. "Please, sir. You told me to come back in a year. It is now one year to the day. I want to know if you have had time to decide the fate of my relatives."

Leira was feeling unwelcome. She started to back away but Yuffie snatched her wrist. "Stay with me." the girl whispered. "He's going to want me to help make decisions," she begged.

Leira breathed out and nodded.

"How many years does this make, officially?" Godo glared.

"Two and half, sir. I need to know about your views, Lord Godo. Their bodies cannot return to the planet, without shame, until you give them a better burial. They were not traitors!"

Godo overlapped his hands. "What were their names, again?" He bellowed in the Wutai language.

Phiphat stared at Leira and returned his concentration to Godo

"Wuh-oh!" Yuffie winced. "Pops just realized that you aren't from around here. He's makin' it so you won't understand anything goin' on."

A wicked smile crossed Leira's lips. She folded her hands behind her buttocks and rocked back and forth on her heels. "That's fine with me," she whispered in Wutaian.

Yuffie's jaw almost crashed to the ground. She had not been expecting her friend to know her native language.

The boy fell to his knees and threw his arms into the air. "TAITYO, ASHITIRO! KISARAGI, KIMDO!"

The two women were shocked by the last name of the second person. "Kisaragi? Someone related to you just die?" Leira said in basic.

Yuffie shook her head. "Kisaragi's a common name…even in the south."

"What is the south, anyway?" asked Leira.

"Farming community."

Godo reclaimed his pen and his composure. "Perhaps you can tell me their Shinra names, too."

"SHINRA NAMES?!" yelped Leira and Yuffie.

"That's right! 'Shinra names'!" Godo banged his fists on his desk. "He wants me to push for the recognition of two traitors!"

"His lordship is just harboring bad feelings towards the company that WON his mindless war in the first place!" Phiphat hissed.

Godo pushed his ledger onto the ground and lifted himself to his feet. "Even if I were going to allow for a common burial, those two would not be allowed to return to the planet! You need two more people to speak for them! I doubt you will find anyone that knew them in this part of Wutai, let alone anyone that could ignore the fact that they served under the enemy!"

The boy removed his turban and crumpled it in his hands. It looked to Leira like he was on the verge of tears. Before anyone could react, the boy left the residence. Leira followed closely behind him as he pushed the door open and stood in the square.

Yuffie sat on her father's desk. She kicked her feet. "So, Poppa. Who was that kid, anyway?"

Leira sat on the steps to Godo's palace. "You've got family that worked for Shinra, too?"

The boy nodded and threw his turban to the ground. "Why did they ruin me like this?! They never once thought about how everyone else would view them." He ran his hands over his shiny baldhead. "My uncle had wanted to be a monk. I followed in his footsteps!"

The kid's story seemed to demand her attention. "A monk…did you say?"

"My mother told me. She told me right after he disappeared. Shinra was attacking Wutai. He left his own sister…and country. He left with a whole boatload of cowards!"

Leira could vaguely recall boatloads of children arriving at Junon. They were crammed full of Wutai citizens who sought out a better life. Two of her best friends had landed the same way.

"Easy, kiddo. Everyone was getting shelled. I don't think it was an act of cowardice at all. I had some really good friends from Wutai." Leira closed her lips. She caught herself attempting to tell war stories from an aged perspective…she was not that old was she? Leira shook off her fears of the 'old times'. "What were their Shinra names?" she asked.

Phiphat blinked at her. "I doubt you'd know them anyway…what could it hurt? My uncle was Ashitiro Taityo. When he was granted citizenship, the Shinra changed his name to Navig Benton. His cousin was Kimdo Kisaragi. They called him Timal Klefmon…those bastards."

"Sucks to be them I guess…WHAT?!" Leira did an instant double take. "You didn't just say Navig and Timal…did you?"

The boy nodded. "Why?"

Leira studied the mountain and the blue sky. Her eyes fixed on a passing cloud formation. "No reason." she answered coolly and adjusted her hair.

"I don't believe that." The boy stood a step below her. "Your reaction said otherwise."

"Listen, kid. I just might have heard of them. Nothing more."

Phiphat lowered himself and took a seat. "I want them to be granted recognition so the family can move on. There's not too many of us left. We've been outlawed by the emperor…they received a traitor's burial…" He hunched over. "If you know anything about them…or anyone that knew them…please tell me…I've been at this for years…it doesn't matter who!"

The Elite considered his words. She chewed on her lip. "What's the point of having anyone speak for them if they're traitors anyway?"

Phiphat advanced toward her. "If you must know, I promised my family! My mother died from complications she incurred during the war. The last bit of life she had was dedicated to making sure they were buried as heroes!" He put his back to her and looked at the gigantic bell centered in the square. If his family were to be recognized that same bell would ring out and let them return to the planet.

Leira wrapped her arms around her right leg. She could not imagine Navig and Timal buried as scoundrels. What would happen to her if she told him about her relationship with them? "I know a couple people that might be able to help you…I can't make any guarantees."

The boy knelt on the dirt below her. "You could do that?!"

"Does it matter who they used to work for?" She could almost taste the defeat of her plan.

The boy thought hard about her response. "You mean like, if they used to work for Shinra?"

Her concerns were hit right on the mark.

"No…just so long as it's not family. It's the emperor's orders. Anyone could say something…even Shinra's pigs could have their say! If it were up to me, I'd make sure that no one from Shinra could stand up for my family!"


	21. Peaceful Cohabitation 2

Yuffie hopped out of her father's home. "I just found out about your guy! He's here!" Her face was so bright and hopeful with the knowledge that her father had decided to share with her. "It turns out that peewee here is related to…" she held onto one of the doors with a hand and followed it as she swung from left to right

"I know." Leira had successfully taken the wind out of her sails.

"…Your Shinra friend!" Yuffie continued regardless. "Whot do you mean you know?"

Phiphat glared at Leira. "You're Shinra?!" He was furious. The boy ran over to the bell and propped himself against one of the railings. "I can't believe this!"

"Than you probably already know he's dead too? Whoa, you were right…"

Leira concurred. "I told you I was there when he was killed…"

"I guess you already know about the traitor's burial for him and his cousin…anyway, Pops says that two people that aren't from around here can get them reburied…just so long as they knew them."

Leira turned her face from the girl. She focused on the boy.

"So, girl, do you know anyone else?"

The Elite did know someone else. She was unaware of whether this other person would stand up to speak for either of them. It had been years since Leira had seen Reno. She had moved on with her life and had become close with the cousins. In time, that closeness had evolved into a romance with one of them.

Cid Highwind paced around the deck. The swarms of officers in civilian clothes were becoming a nuisance. "I can't believe they're still searching for clues!" He took his pack of cigarettes out from his headband.

"I agree. I thought they had their man when they found Cloud's weapon." Vincent said solemnly.

Cid patted the bottom of the small laminated case. A dull sound was heard from the inside. He shook it violently and immediately poked a gloved finger into the hole. "Dammit! Only one left!"

"You're the only one that smokes around here." Vincent beamed.

Reeve's general, Sasha Tate came near the two. He had been listening in on the conversation. "I'm sorry to say, but it's our job to look at everyone as being guilty. No one has said otherwise in the defense of your friend. You're gonna find that it's going to be a lot harder now, since every one of us know Redo."

Cid fumbled for his lighter and lit his cigarette.

"General, I need you over here." said one of the other soldiers.

"This is bringing me down." Cid sputtered. "C'mon, Vince, let's hit the pub."

Upon their exit, Cid's eyes fell across someone from his past. He shot down the ramp, with Vincent in tow. "Tifa, Tifa!"

The brunette paused and looked in the direction of the shouting. Just than her husband stepped out behind her.

Cid lost his footing and slid down the plank on his knees. "Tifa get back, it's a Turk!"

Vincent leant a hand to his friend just as Reno emerged.

"…And another…" the dead man muttered quietly.

Reno swept at his red hair. "Well if it isn't Cid and Vinnie. Had a feeling that you guys made it through. No one stays dead for long…that's been my experience lately." He calmly lit a cigarette and put it to his lips. He noted the smoldering cigarette that Cid had fumbled lying on the ground and blew a ring of smoke. "Ya know, Cid, ya might want to quit, it's a dirty habit."

"I'll show you 'dirty habit'!" The angered pilot hopped to his feet and attempted to grab the redhead by the throat.

Reno hopped backwards on one foot while Rude slammed Cid with an elbow. Vincent lunged at the tall bald man just as Reno had pulled his favorite weapon out of a jacket pocket. After pushing a small button his electromag rod lengthened and sparked to life. "Uh uh uh." he teased, waving it from it side to side.

Vincent delivered a golden tipped boot to Rude's stomach and went reaching into his belt for one of his pistols.

"Stop! Stop!" Tifa shouted. "That's my husband!"

"Yer what?!" Cid said as he limped up to her.

"You're insane! How could you marry a Turk? What about Cloud?" Vincent squinted.

"It's a long story." Tifa said at last.

"Reno, have you gotten underneath someone else's skin already?"

Cid, Vincent, Rude, Reno and Tifa halted as Leira, Yuffie and Phiphat emerged. "You know me, doll face. Glad to see you came back."

Vincent shot Leira a questioning glance. "Doll face?"

"We served together back in Shinra. I outranked him." Leira said hastily.

Reno shrugged and spit out his cig… "Say what you want." he folded his hands behind his neck. "We had our share of good times didn't we, Lei."

"Good times? Lei?" Vincent stammered.

Reno strutted up to the Elite. Their bodies were mere millimeters apart. "What's with, 'im?"

Leira stroked her top with her fingernails. "We need to discuss something."

"We do?" Reno was lax in his response. "If it's got anything to do with me an' the kid, I don't want any part of it. That was the past."

"Him an' what kid?" Cid asked.

Vincent shook his head.

"He means me." Yuffie whispered as she took up a position beside Cid.

"Ain't he a little old for you?" Cid grimaced. "I think that kid might be more your type." he pointed at the scowling Phiphat.

"No can do, good buddy, he's a monk"

Vincent ignored the banter between Cid and Yuffie and tuned his attention to Reno and Leira. There was something strange about how they were acting towards each other.

"No, you belly crawler! It's about a couple of our mutual friends."

"Mutual friends?"

Leira was tired of game play. She grabbed Reno by his tie and dragged his face closer to hers. "What? Is there an echo here or somethin'? Yes I said 'mutual friends'!"

The Turk snatched his tie from her. "I don't know who yer talkin' about."

He was just about to turn away, when Leira gave a slight moan. Her head slumped and her hair rolled over her shoulders. "Timal and Benton are here."

Reno paused. "Who?"

Leira leveled a finger at the young Phiphat. "The kid's related to Navig."

Reno towered above the boy. He callously lit up another cigarette. The man squatted in front of him and gazed upwards. "You're related to Benny, huh? Can almost see the resemblance."

The boy squinted at Reno. "Ashitiro, Taityo was my uncle."

Reno got to his full height. He took a drag. "Ashy who?"

"Reno, Timal and Navig were given those names by Shinra…Ashitiro was Navig's real name." Leira said slowly.

This amused Reno. "So what was Timmy's real name?"

Cid was in awe. "They all know these people?"

"Timal's real name was Kimdo. Kimdo Kisaragi." Phiphat folded his arms.

The redheaded Turk blinked. "Hey, Yuff, any relation of yours?"

The little girl was fuming. "It's just a common name! Dammit, how come my name is always associated with assholes?"

Leira scratched the side of her neck. "We really do need to talk, Wren. Him, me and you."

Reno gave in. "Well, if it's got do with those two…I guess I'm all ears."

"Big ones too!" Yuffie spat as the three walked off towards a wooded area.

"Shet up, kid?" Reno waved a fist at her.

"I must have missed something." Vincent mouthed.

Yuffie stared into his red eyes. "No you didn't…Reno, and everyone's favorite Elite had a thing going."

Vincent's heart seemed to sink a little.

"C'mon kids let's get a drink." Cid bellowed. "'Cept Yuffie, she's having juice!"

"I'll never get free time today!" Tifa mused. "Let's catch up on old times." She took her husband by the hand and re-entered the Turtle's Paradise.

"So, what's up with Timmy and Benny?" Reno took another puff. "Besides bein' dead an' all."

Leira elbowed him.

"I can't believe you want him to speak for my family!" Phiphat pressed.

"What did he say?" Reno raised an eyebrow.

Leira was slow to answer. "They were buried here as traitors for serving under Shinra."

Leira's ex-lover frowned. "That's bad. They weren't traitors."

"They were Shinra, hon, that's enough to make them traitors since they were originally from here."

Reno's eyes widened. He took note of Phiphat's angered expression. His face seemed to be completely in red. "I always thought those two were returned to Midgar."

"No they weren't!" the little monk spat.

"Jeez." Reno stroked the back of his head.

"Benton had called the Wutai government. He wanted Timal brought here. I guess when Benton died they came for him too." Leira relayed.

"Poor Benton. He was a sweet guy. Would never hurt a fly." The redhead scratched the inside of his ear. "Timmy on the other hand." Reno remembered a time when SOLDIER First Class Klefmon had become angered over him not keeping in touch with Leira while she served in Costa del Sol. "I still can't believe he slugged me." He gave Leira a puzzled look. "I'm still not sure what that was about. We were good friends for years."

Phiphat calmed as he listened to Reno reveal his feelings on the boy's family.

"Benton was the only one that talked to me, after that…Timal…he just seemed like I pissed him off somehow. Funny thing is; it all seemed to be concerning you. He would never have acted like that in my defense."

Leira began to sweat. She had become extremely close to Timal. How could she explain to Reno about her affair? Should it matter? During the Junon visit, Reno had gone off on his own. Leira was never married to him in the first place.

The monk smiled. "You're not a woman," he said pointedly, to Reno. "I heard stories about him sticking up for females. He kind of fashioned himself as a protector."

"Well, he stood up for Lei over there. She can be more of a man than me sometimes."

Leira relaxed at Reno's outburst. She was grateful for Phiphat's intervention. It became clear to her that there would be a time when she would have to make her own confession to Reno.

Phiphat stopped and ran away from the group. "I'm going to talk with Lord Godo again. I'll meet up with you later."

Reno licked his lips. "Glad to see we made his day."

Leira tipped her chin at him.

The two walked deeper and deeper into the woods below Dao Chao.

"So what's Sephiroth doin' with you guys." questioned Reno.

"I'm not even sure. Tseng wanted me to find him…and I did. After that, it's been a blur. We met up with Ecka. Hojo's experiments have come to light, and Sephiroth's got everyone acting strange."

"Hmmm. I guess so."

Leira rested herself against a tree. "Cloud's a murderer…"

"Cold blood?" he raised an eyebrow.

Leira cocked her head at him. "That's what Reeve's men are saying…"

"That kid's like Benton…only younger…and lighter skinned." he eyed his shrinking cigarette.

Leira took offense to his words.

"My point is the kid wouldn't hurt a fly…unless he had to. I've been on the receiving end of his blows before. Kid got me laid out in a hospital for a while."

Leira decided to focus on the task at hand. "So you'll talk to Godo with me."

"We need to talk to Yuffie's dad? I don't know. If it weren't for Rude, I would've been run right out of here."

"Wren, you're being selfish. Timal told me about all your glory days with him and Navig. I figure it's the least you could do!"

Reno slumped against the tree Leira occupied. He ditched his cigarette only to light another. "I'll think it over. I still don't understand why you're pushing for this. Did you and Timmy have something going on?"

She faced him and slapped the cig from his hands. Both of them watched it hit the dirt.

"What are you trying to do girl? Tryin' to burn the forest down?!"

Her eyes narrowed.

"Lucky for you I got another." Once the replacement was in hand, he lit it and took a couple drags. "You were accepted into their circle too. Are you going to stick up for them?"

The next thing Leira knew she collapsed into Reno's chest. "Yeah. I owe them. Timal…Benton…They both died in front of me. Timal saved my life. I owe them." She was becoming emotional.

Reno put an arm around her and held her firmly to him. "I'll think about it, girl. I'll think about it." He put a finger to the hollow of her chin. "No need to get emotional over them now. We got plenty of time." He kissed her forehead.


	22. Peaceful Cohabitation 3

"It seems like it's been forever." Tifa said as she poured liquor in a glass for her husband.

Vincent eyed Rude nervously. "Indeed it has."

"I'll have mine in a bottle." Cid held a finger up.

Tifa set a brown bottle in front of the pilot.

Yuffie was the only one that seemed to be accepting of the latest developments. She gnawed on an appetizer. "Silly underage rules. Jeez, you help save the world and yer still treated like a kid...the nerve of some people."

"Honestly, I never thought I'd see any of you again." said Tifa as she poured a juice for Yuffie. "Everyone seemed to have taken their own path." She set the small glass down in front of the grumbling ninja. "Vincent, you and Cid went on to Rocket Town. Shinra's organization collapsed. Barrett broke up Avalanche and went with Red to Cosmo Canyon. Cloud…" she glanced around. "…Where's Cloud?"

Yuffie broke from her tantrum and looked at Cid.

The grizzled pilot tugged at his collar and coughed.

Vincent got tired of the cowardice exhibited by his teammates. "He was arrested for murder. One of Reeve's personal army got killed and they found Cloud's weapon at the scene."

Rude lowered his glasses. "Wow, harsh."

"That can't be right! I know him better than any of you! Where is he now?"

"My guess would be the prison." Yuffie offered. "They've moved it since Meteor. I'll take you there. I might be able to get you visitation. I am the emperor's daughter after all." she smiled and pointed her thumb to her chest.

Tifa gave instructions to her coworkers and left the bar with her former teammates. As they followed Yuffie, Tifa noticed Sephiroth out of the corner of her eye. The area they walked through was somewhat isolated. She wondered what he was doing. The former Shinra hero was squatting down beside some kind of marker.

Vincent had also caught sight of Sephiroth as well.

"Here we are!" Yuffie said excitedly.

The prison did not share the same architecture as the other buildings on the island. The tall concrete structure stretched out as far as the eye could see. "It was built over an armory that got blasted apart during the war. No one visits here willingly."

"I would guess not." Cid elbowed Vincent in the ribs.

"Can you stop?!" Tifa hissed at him.

Guards stood around every corner of the unfenced prison. Security still seemed lax to Vincent. As a Turk, he had served time in a multitude of maximum-security wards. Shinra had bailed him out countless times, so he never had to break out. He was sure that this particular prison would not be able to hold a young man such as Cloud.

Yuffie stepped up to one of the guards and babbled something in her native tongue. The tall man in red body armor studied the girl's companions. His broad shoulders lowered and he nodded to her.

With a quick hand signal, the tall black metallic doors slowly slid apart.

"Cloud's down this way. Apparently dad wanted him in a cell by himself." Yuffie stated quietly.

The group began to move again and the heavy metal doors ground together.

"I still can't believe he's being held for murder." Tifa directed at Rude.

The bald man nodded. "Maybe for underage drinking…not murder."

The walk lasted for several minutes. Another man in blue armor appeared. He stood upright in front of another black door. A knocking could be heard from the inside. The door opened with an un-oiled creak.

Everyone was curious as to who would emerge. They held their breaths in hopes that Cloud had somehow been released.

"Hello everyone." Reeve exited the room while the guard closed the door.

Tifa stormed up to the President. "You couldn't stop this from happening? He trusted you through everything!

Reeve calmly fixed his black tie. "Oh, you know about Cloud than."

Tifa clenched her fists. Cait Sith bounded down the hall and saw the group gathered. He stopped beside Tifa and Rude. "Easy girl. He's working as hard as he can. We all know Cloud's innocent. We just have to try and locate the guy that discovered the body."

It was time for Rude to press. "Speaking of body. Has anyone seen it?"

Vincent and Yuffie slowly raised their hands. "They even found the guy's blood on his sword." Yuffie put in her two cents.

Rude peered over his dark lenses and tugged at one of ear his piercing. "Can I see it? I've had plenty of experience with stiffs, so has Reno."

Yuffie covered her mouth with her hands and turned beet red. She was trying to hold back her laughter at Rude's comment on "stiffs".

Rude missed the girl's humor but Vincent did not. "Not that kind!" he barked and swatted at her.

Yuffie ducked out of the ex-Turk's path and stuck her tongue out at him.

Reeve put his hands on his hips. "I'm afraid they already disposed of it. It's been burned in a test fire for the SOLDIER's funeral. They wanted to make sure that ashes wouldn't even be left."

Tifa's eyes grew big. "SOLDIER?! Cloud?! Is Cloud dead?"

Rude wrapped his arms around his young wife. "It's okay…it's okay."

Reeve shook his head. "No Cloud's inside. He's fine. The Highwind crew apprehended a SOLDIER who was part of Hojo's Jenova Project. We tried to rescue her but it was too late…my niece knew her. She pushed for the girl's body to be cremated."

Vincent's eyes gave the appearance of being engulfed in flame. "THAT IS ABSOLUTE…"

"Did you want to say something, Mr. Valentine?" Reeve managed to coolly let out.

Cid put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Easy, Vince. I don't know what's up either. We know what really happened. Just let it go," he whispered.

Vincent grudgingly shook his head.

"Hey, Boss." the cat intervened, "They still can't find the lieutenant guy. The general just happened to realize something too. They want you back at the ship."

Reeve removed a pair of sunglasses and put them on. "Excuse me." As Reeve and the mechanical cat made their exit, all eyes were on him.

"What is he hiding?" Vincent prodded at Cid.

"It's true; Leira did push for the girl to be burned." Cid agreed.

"No, that's not it." Vincent crossed his arms and watched the light reflect off his claw. "It was one of Reeve's own men that killed her. Hojo's…experiments never finished her."

"Boss," Cait Sith began. "When are you going to tell them about what's really going on? The general discovered the time of death for that Redo guy too."

The hallway echoed with Reeves footfalls. "Cait, this is not the time."

"Boss, the guy's been dead since." Cait Sith stopped as two armed guards passed by. He continued to bounce dutifully beside his master.

"Since when?" asked Reeve.

"He's been dead since the Highwind lifted off from Costa del Sol. Someone apparently snuck aboard…and,"

"And?"

"At the risk of sounding like a Turk. Someone snuck aboard and offed him. That's what the general wanted to tell you." the cat finished.

Beneath his glasses, Reeve was upset. Why had it taken so long for these to developments to come to light? Did he not pay top dollar to support that army? Reeve reflexively straightened his tie. "Do they have a suspect or anything?"

"You mean besides the kid?"

"Don't screw with me Cait. I'm not having a good day here."

The little mechanical cat shook its paws. "Mine's not peaches and cream either, boss. General Tate thinks it might be the clone you mentioned…that twenty nine guy."

Reeve continued to walk. "Does Tate have any proof?"

The cat was just a little irked but kept it to himself. That's another reason why he wants to see you…"

The two had made it to the exit of the prison. The doors slid open for them and two guards took positions behind them.

"Thanks." Reeve said. "But we don't need escorts."

The guards broke off and went back into the ward.

Cait Sith did not bother to continue. Reeve had seen something and immediately stormed off. "Tell Tate I'll meet up with him shortly." The President hollered.

Sephiroth held a vigil over a brown wooden marker. He knew exactly what it stood for. Soon he would be bringing Leira to visit this same spot. He slowly traced the broad flat top with his exposed pointer finger. His sunglasses slid down his nose allowing his aquamarine Mako enhanced eyes to see it in the bright sun. Yuffie was right, he thought to himself. An armory had indeed been built on the same stretch of land long before it was destroyed.

The medium sized square of petrified wood had no words or symbols carved into it. It was placed there under Sephiroth's watchful eye during the battle with Wutai. It was a way for him to honor the memories of SOLDIERs in his unit that did not make it back home. He was surprised that the Wutai government had not removed it. He put his hands on the tops of his knees. How would Leira react to seeing this marker?

"I thought I told you not to come around here!" Reeve's voice broke the calmness that Sephiroth had been experiencing.

"I have just as much right to be here as yourself." Sephiroth said in a relaxed tone.

"You were the one that got them killed in the first place! Seeing you here is just like putting chocobo dung on it!" Reeve protested.

The ex-Shinra general pushed his shades back into place. His head lifted to view Reeve. "Are you going to bring her here?"

"No and you aren't either!"

Sephiroth pushed his hair back over his shoulders. "Funny," he sighed, "I never really knew my real parents. Besides Jenova and Gast, these two were the only ones I knew. They were the closest things to a mother and father…"

Reeve was unsympathetic. "That's too bad. You let her family die. You could have helped them. You didn't. After you disappeared she was doing much better."

"Reeve, you screwed with her memories." Sephiroth pointed out.

"I did. I did so that she could lead a normal life without having things like this to look back on constantly, and you."

Sephiroth lifted himself to his feet. He stepped up to Reeve and towered inches above him.

"Where are you going?" the President asked nervously.

"I'm leaving you. I've done what I needed to do for the time being. I have to meet with someone." He took one side of his glasses in his hand and lowered them while he flashed a cruel smile at Reeve. "If you'll excuse me."

A wind seemed to spring out of nowhere and Sephiroth vanished without a trace.

Reeve glanced around in horror. What had he just seen?

Cait Sith bounded over to his creator. "Reeve, you okay?"

Never had he expected to see Sephiroth use the powers that Jenova still provided him. His skin turned white and his head dashed around. "Cait, let's get out of here."

The visiting room door opened for Yuffie and her comrades. Cloud's light smile provided the group with a little bit of rest.

"You didn't have to come all this way to see me," he said. "How ya doin', Tifa, long time no see?"

"Hey, you know us!" Yuffie smiled back.

Cloud was dressed in a baggy white suit. His hands were cuffed in front of him. The boy's legs were loosely chained and attached to the wall of the cell.

Tifa rushed at him and wrapped her arms around him. "We'll get you out of this!" she wept.

"So, what have you all been up to?" Cloud asked.

"We've been trying to find a way to save your butt." Cid remarked.

"No one here believes that you're capable of murder." Rude spoke up.

Cloud's eyes widened for a moment after hearing the Turk talk.

"Reeve and the cat were having a talk…you might be out of this situation sooner than you think." the pilot added.


	23. Laying Low

The new regulations concerning one's attire had become a slight problem. Why could the all the all-powerful puppet, Sephiroth, not capture the girl sooner? That's right! He was in love…

The man in black leather was understandably upset. He was so close to getting a positive lock on Ecka's corpse but due to Wutai's new laws, he found himself forced to abandon his secondary task. His creator had pushed for his minions to bring her entire corpse or, at the very least, blood samples back to them. Even his recovery of the Elite had taken a turn for the worst. Why were the number twenty-nine clones cursed so quickly?

He kicked a stone protruding from the dirt road. In order to be a hero to his clan, he had to get every loose end tied up.

The lieutenant found himself standing in the doorway to the newly revamped materia shop. His stolen uniform was losing its stealthy luster. He was so close to Sephiroth and was even closer to returning the Elite to his master. He was not going to be a failed number any longer.

A black haired woman stood behind the counter of her shop while another one rifled through some linens. "Can I help you?" she asked. Her voice sounded sweet and sincere.

The tall man lowered his head in a nod. He took a quick look around before he considered her words. He put his hands behind his buttocks. His tongue passed between his lips beneath his darkened visor. "I'm on leave and would like to try on some of the indigenous clothing."

The woman sorting through the shop's wares paused. She was surprised to hear that this man spoke the Wutai language as clearly as he did. "Pardon, sir, are you from around here?"

"Niera," the woman behind the counter shouted. "You have a husband!"

"I'm sorry, Eylie." she apologized to her friend. "It's just his voice is so attractive!"

The man in black leather let out a deep chuckle. He imagined that this response would have been typical for the man whose blood flowed through his veins. "Thank you," he continued in mock courtesy. This was the perfect opportunity for him to test out his knowledge of the native language. He decided to give the women a show. With gloved hands to the sides of his head, he dramatically removed his helmet. As expected, the two were awestruck.

Before them stood a six foot four inch man with a wide welcoming smile, dark healthy skin, and jet-black hair and alluring blue eyes.

The woman handling the textiles stopped and put a hand over her heart. "How can I help you with?" she sputtered and thought for a moment.

The lieutenant smiled at her and turned his attention to the girl at the counter. "I'm just looking for clothes that might be more welcoming for me…and maybe somewhere I can spend a couple nights, until the ship is ready to leave again."

Eylie's eyes looked him up and down. "I might just have what you're looking for. Niera, get the latest fashions! Oh, the pamphlets!" she put a hand over her mouth. "Don't forget the resort pamphlets!"

Everything was going according to plan for the false lieutenant.

Reeve entered the Highwind, followed by Cait Sith. "General Tate." he shouted at the top of his lungs.

The President's most trusted official sauntered out of the engine room and into view. "I trust you got my message, Mr. President."

"I did, yes. Why this sudden change of heart?"

"Well, sir…you see…we actually hadn't had Redo in our unit for too long. He was shipped over to us from our sister department in Kalm."

Reeve leered at his mechanical companion. "Is this all…cat?"

Cait Sith had never really known fear but after seeing his creator eyeing him the way he was now…he released an action similar to a lengthy gulp.

"We, uh…did some research on the kid's military and combat background. Uhmmm…"

"Out with it!" Reeve insisted.

"We found that he was the only Lieutenant on this ship." The man's aged face was turning red from embarrassment.

Startlingly, Reeve's voice was calm and collected. "What about the man that escorted the body?"

"Oh, you mean the lieutenant?" Tate offered fingering his collar.

The mog and cat team struck their faces.

"Yes…I suppose." Reeve planted a hand to his hairline.

"Haven't seen him since the Highwind touched down. Funny thing is, I didn't give him orders to go with the other guys…he just, kind of, went off…we haven't seen him since…"

The President eyed Cait Sith menacingly. "You told me that this…Redo, has supposedly been dead since we lifted off from home?"

The nervous cat fidgeted. "Yeah, boss."

Reeve turned his back and stormed into the conference area. His brain began flitting through images of the events that had transpired leading up to the Highwind's lift off from the beach resort town. One image in particular began to eat at him. He was overcome by the appearance of the man with the tattoo. He also recalled his conversation with Cait Sith relating to the emergence of a man with the same number showing up at the Gold Saucer. The president grabbed the cat from its perch and slammed it into the general knocking him into the nearest wall. "GOD DAMMIT, SASHA! I THOUGHT YOU HAD MORE FUCKING COMMON SENSE THAN THIS!"

It was too convenient. The clone of number twenty-nine arriving days after Sephiroth allegedly made his report to his superiors, the death of Lieutenant Redo; it was all coming together. The clone had learned of Leira's whereabouts through Sephiroth and followed a trail right back to Costa del Sol and the Highwind.

General Sasha Tate dropped the cat. "Sir?"

Reeve put a hand to the man's throat. "Don't make me spell it out for you! Thanks to you, there's a clone loose somewhere in Wutai and it wants my NIECE!"

The pinkish mog bounced forward and lifted its counterpart onto its shoulder.

"Cait! You're going to help the good general hunt this guy down and bring him back! Do whatever! Kill him before he kills her!" Reeve demanded.

The nervous cat and general team hurried into the bowels of the Highwind to gather up any officers that remained aboard. Reeve hurried over to an instrument panel. Like a man possessed, he banged his fingers into its keyboard and brought up a map of the Wutai area. "Where the hell are you?" he growled. "Where are you?!"

Cloud smiled at the promise of good news. He wanted to try and keep his current situation apart from the thrill of having everyone around him. "So what's everyone been up to?" His Mako eyes darted from Rude to Tifa. He could not help but notice that the two were standing extremely close to each other.

Rude removed his sunglasses. "Well, you see…it's like this…" Tifa had informed Rude of her friendship with the blonde spiky haired boy shortly before they were engaged. Trying to explain was going to be tricky.

"Rude and I are married." Tifa said. "I knew that there was no way I could compete with Aeris. It was just hard for me to stick around. Even in death you were still devoted to her…I guess I gave up."

Clouds face was a complete blank for a spell. Amazingly, he had rebounded from his shock and had begun to beam. "I'd shake your hand, Rude…but I'm tied up at the moment. Congratulations."

The big man nodded. "Thanks."

"I was worried about you, Tifa. It's good to see that you're still wearing that smile of yours." Cloud said to his childhood friend. He did a head count and came up a few people short. "Hey, Vincent…where's mom and Sephiroth?"

Vincent Valentine took a breath. "Leira is with Reno, currently."

The ex-SOLDIER heard Vincent's flat reply. He suddenly remembered how close the Elite and the ex-Turk had become. He also recalled the relationship that Reno and Leira had shared as well. He found himself refusing to pursue that topic for fear of angering Vincent. "What about Sephiroth?" he asked instead.

Yuffie stepped forward. "Well, last I saw…"

"He's right here!" A cloud of dust blew into the room and quickly vanished. The group spun behind themselves and stared toward the back of the room. Sephiroth had decided to make himself known. He conceitedly removed his sunglasses with his left hand and held them by the arms. His aquamarine eyes briefly studied the ground before finally resting on the boy. "Greetings, jailbird." the ex-general joked.

Rude pushed Tifa behind him, while Cid and Vincent stood side by side. Yuffie ran in front of Cloud to protect him in case a battle was to break out. "Eew. Like, it isn't bad enough that Reno's still here!"

"What an entrance!" Cid spat, "Here's your prize!" He pounded his hands together in an attempt to intimidate the white haired man.

"So your powers aren't really gone! I figured as much!" Vincent crossed his arms.

"Always an eye for the obvious." Sephiroth flashed a wicked grin at the dead man. "If you must know, I have been merely saving up for one last hurrah!" He stuck a thumb below his lower lip and pondered what he had said. "Well…not exactly last. It's actually more like several." His thumb dropped and he flung his arms out to his sides in exaggeration. "Only one of them is going to be BIG, though!" After showing his back to the crowd, he waved a hand. "I decided that I might as well practice. Not all of the players are here yet and I was getting bored."

"He's still talking." Tifa butted in and yawned.

"You people have no flair for drama." Sephiroth muttered impatiently as he turned to face them again.

"What brings you here?" Cloud's calmness caused the group to relax a tad.

"There's the spirit." Sephiroth's lips curled into a sneer. "Really, all I wanted to do was say hello. I'm actually looking for someone else…he seems to be a tricky fellow to find. Anyway, I just happened to be in the area."

Yuffie looked at Cloud and than returned to Sephiroth. "Who?"

"Nah-uh." The ex-Shinra waggled a finger at them. "That would ruin the fun and may tip our visitor off. Oh, I assume that since the Elite is not here with you, she must be with Reno." He put his sunglasses back on and pushed them up his nose. "I'll take my leave than." Another dust cloud whipped around and the white haired man was gone.

One of the prison's security officers pulled open the door to Cloud's chamber. "Visiting hours are over. Please follow me."

Tifa and Yuffie gave Cloud one last hug and departed the room with the others. "Who do you think he was talking about?" Tifa asked the young girl.


	24. A Taste Of Things To Come

Reno had been sitting in the shade admiring every inch of Leira's body. His jacket was off and sprawled on the ground next to him. Another cigarette was lit and placed between the fingers dangling over his knee. "Heard you were messed up pretty bad."

The leaves of the small forest rustled.

"How did you hear that?" Lieandra swept at the lower part of her Elite uniform. There were so many buttons on it. The square metallic pieces were all snapped to a piece of black polyester.

Reno's eyes shut as he shook his head and ground his cig into the dirt. "Word got around pretty fast. Weapon attacked and Rufus died."

Leira's lips parted. "So?"

"Heard from Reeve that you were decked out in a full body cast forever."

She grimaced. "When did you ever talk to him?"

"When you were in your coma."

The Elite parted her fingers at her hips. "Let's get off this topic. It's disturbing."

"'Kay."

Leira remembered how her mission had swung from keeping a watchful eye on the President than suddenly forced into the role of rescue helicopter pilot. The large amount of blood loss sustained each time never left either.

"Did you ever feel like following Sephiroth? Y'know…into the crater."

Great, she huffed to herself, another line of questioning. "Hojo asked me that same thing in Costa del Sol, years ago." She spun on her heels and flashed a finger. "I'll tell you what I told him." Why should she have to explain herself? Her lower jaw crashed. Reno had vanished.

"You were going to say?" A brown haired female was in his place. Her curly locks rippled with a life of their own. A long white coat was securely buttoned and concealed any other clothing she might be wearing.

"Why didn't you join us?" a familiar voice asked.

Leira was quickly becoming frustrated. A heavy hand rubbed at her back. "We missed you."

Leira backed away at the strange touch. Timal was behind her. "I never made it there myself, but they did." Forty men appeared behind him. They all looked exactly like him. All were dressed in the bulky body armor of SOLDIER.

"I always wanted a daughter." The female had materialized beside her and had begun to fondle her hair. The woman's eyes were yellow in color and her skin smelled of decay. "You should have obeyed my son's callings. You naughty little girl."

"Save me." The Elite found herself whispering to the nearest Timal.

The one closest to her grabbed her face with one hand. His head lolled from side to side as his tongue forced its way down her throat. The pressure on her face was gone. The Wutai man ceased in his curious assault. His hands lifted and he furiously examined them. A black line had formed on his left shoulder.

"Timal…what's happening?" Leira asked.

The unnatural coloring in his hair darkened and became black. The line became a crack and pressed its way around the entire shoulder joint. His fingers began to tremble. The crack grew and grew and eventually the arm's motion stopped. He briefly watched his hands shaking before nervously looking at Leira.

"Timal!" Leira tried to reach out to him but the woman with yellow eyes forced her hand down.

All of the Timal clones had taken up the same movements. Similar cracks were showing up on their left arms. They all began to scream as the crack widened. Each person's arm was now hanging by a flap of skin. "HELP ME!"

Leira tried to fight the strange woman but she was unable to free herself.

Blood gushed out and the dangling arms plotzed to the ground

"NO!" Leira was overcome by the show of gore. A hand pulled her face away from the bloodied actions. The woman's yellow eyes glared into hers.

"Now, dear. Don't worry."

The Elite's face was pushed back to the carnage. All of the Timals lay sprawled along the ground. They gave the impression that they had all bled to death. The bodies vanished. Everything but the arms had disintegrated.

"They aren't done yet." The odd woman whispered.

Leira fought to look away. The woman's hand had moved but curiosity forced her not to continue to fight. The arms had begun to wiggle. Blood burped out of the holes that once connected to shoulders. The arms were now standing on their fingers. The blood began to spray down them. With each gush, the disembodied limbs lifted off the ground.

"Isn't it wonderful? My lover was such a genius."

The red tides of blood began to form into humanoid shapes. Tissue blossomed and turned to skin and bone. The thin layers of skin began to darken.

"Your lover?" Leira found herself asking. She could not pry her eyes away from the demented sight.

Shrieking flooded the area. The trees in the forest had melted away leaving a sterile white background. Leira was manhandled again as the developing beings became fuller and took on the SOLDIER's appearance once again. She felt cold. Her uniform was engulfed in flame.

Leira screamed as flakes of cloth and ash hit the ground. Salty tears traced their way down her cheeks. In total degradation, she crashed to her knees and groped herself. She felt like a little girl.

A stately looking man pulled one of her hands away from her. Like the woman, he also wore a long white lab coat.

"Where's my uncle?!" The proud Elite's voice was nothing more than that of a little girl.

"Where are your numbers?" The man's hair sprouted into a long black ponytail while random strands turned gray. "You had numbers here and here!" He thumbed the back of her hand and slapped her back.

"REEVE!" her voice sprung forth as the woman entered the room.

The people in lab coats held hands and shared a sloppy kiss as a blue flame overcame them. Their skin melted and dripped like wax. The mixture began to bubble, spurt, and spread.

The naked thirteen-year-old Leira backed away as an examination table formed underneath her.

The flame and wax combination grew larger and spread itself out. Large wings with needles sprouted from its sides.

The young girl felt a burning sensation where the man had touched her. A number was etching itself into her skin.

"My daughter…my daughter…my daughter…my daughter." a raspy feminine voice pronounced over and over again.

"Hey, girl!" hands were on her shoulders again.

A shrill cry forced its way out of the Elite's lungs. Beads of sweat were dripping from her forehead. Leira pushed herself away from the hands' owners. "LEAVE ME ALONE!"

The dampness of grass and dirt could be felt against her leggings. The ground tore as her knees worked to drag her two hundred and ten pound frame away from her attacker. Hurriedly, her right foot dug into a patch of mud. In a blast of raw strength, she jumped up to both feet. Her fingers quickly wrapped around the Glock that holstered beneath her shoulder.

"HEY, GIRL!"

Leira was blinded. She did not know whose voice had been shouting. The terror the person was resonating failed to register between her ears. The small heavy handgun was yanked from its black leather shielding. The moistened hands of the Elite fought hard to steady themselves as her black boots began to back away. The barrel of the gun wavered from side to side. Her blackened pupils were huge and her throat was dry.

A root, that had run itself above ground, met the back of her foot. Her already awkward stance was unable to support her. Somehow, she was still able to hold the gun in her faltering hands once her body completely grounded.

Her long brown hair was not enough to cushion her head and her skull wrapped harshly against the ground. A sharp stinging pain passed its way along the sides of her face. Her ears rang and throbbed at the same time. Harsh pangs passed up and down her spine.

The human skull was designed to take eight pounds of pressure and nothing more. If its maximum were to be exceeded the outcome could be fatal. How hard had she hit?

Her heart was in her throat and her chest was pounding. Her tight uniform constricted every time she took a breath.

A sound vibrated against her landlocked ear. The mystery person was on his way over to her.

Leira's body writhed as her brain began to calculate her next possibility of movement. A flash of yellow surged inside her blind eyes. Her military survival instincts took over.

Her left and right hands became alive and grabbed the plastic handle grip of the gun.

The person was continuing his approach.

Her forehead lifted and honed in on the being with the help of her ears. The fearful woman's dry coated tongue passed between her lips.

Each step her attacker made sounded like a drum beat.

The pointer finger of her right hand found the metal loop outside the trigger while her thumb turned the safety off. The handgun was ready to fire.

The footsteps and turned into a dead run. The pace had quickened.

"Come on Leira…" she muttered incoherently."…Pull it together…"

An involuntary pulse tightened the finger that lightly pressed against the trigger.

BLAM

The gun went off, dispersing any birds that had hidden themselves in the wooded area. The forty-five caliber silver tipped hollow point had been released.

All was silent. Leira's body was perspiring even more making her skin clammy.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" the voice's fear was recognizable now.

The Elite did not care, as long as the gun was still aimed.

BLAM

The second shot resonated just like the first.

The sound of a heavy thickness slumped to the ground.

Leira's breathing became ragged. Had she halted her pursuer? He was not moving anymore. Should she get up and take a look?

The Glock 21 had become too heavy for her shaking wrists. It bounced off her stomach and rolled onto the dirt. The clacking sound it made gave her an instantaneous migraine. Her hands pointed skywards for a brief moment before they too crashed to the ground.

One side of Leira's face tipped into the earth. With eyes closed, she lapsed into unconsciousness.

"Damn…girl…what was that for…?" Reno had barely gotten out of the way of her second bullet. The first one had missed him by a mile. He pried his hands from the back of his head. His eyes were watery due to the loosened dirt and dust that had become airborne when he threw himself to the ground. It was miraculous he was able to evade injury. He was almost four feet from her limp form.

One minute he had been sitting on the ground with her propped against his side. They must have dozed off in each other's company. The next minute she was a woman possessed. When she had been firing at him, her eyes locked on him.

"Reno." a voice called out a few feet behind Leira's body.

The Turk sat cross-legged in the dirt. He needed a cigarette, badly. Involuntarily he reached out, picked up his fallen sunglasses, and placed them on his head.

"Reno, what happened here?" Sephiroth trudged through the woods. He knelt beside Leira's lifeless body.

The redhead got to his feet and walked over to his former lover. She was sprawled out on her back. "I don't know. We passed out…"

Sephiroth looked up at him and cocked an eyebrow. "Than what?"

"She just flipped! How should I know?!"

"I heard shots fired…is she alright?"

Reno crinkled his brow. It was just like Sephiroth to care more about the woman. Why was he not surprised? He lifted her gun and shoved it into the waistband of his trousers. "She capped a couple. I guess she thought she got me…that's pro'lly why she didn't use the entire clip."

"She should have." The white haired man said flatly.

Reno hid his hands in his pockets. "She almost made me swallow my cig."

"You lost it, quit whining." Sephiroth said as he draped one of Leira's arms around his neck.

People who had been enjoying a relaxing day on the town began to emerge, curious as to the location of Leira's shots.

The Turk's jaws gaped as his head swept from side to side. So many bystanders.

"Quit standing there, you idiot!" Sephiroth let out angrily. "Help me get her out of here before Reeve shows up!"

Grudgingly, Reno helped with his lover's other side. Together he and the ex-general dragged her in the direction of the nearest resting place.


	25. From Highwind To Mother

The lieutenant stripped down in order for the woman to get his measurements. After they measured his arms, he raised his hands above his head.

The sound of people yelling and stomping around could be heard outside. Eylie set her measuring tape down at the man's feet and rubbed at her forehead. "What is all that commotion for?" She looked at her customer and went outside for a peek.

Niera smiled and pinched at his abdominal muscles.

"What is everyone doing out here?" the shopkeeper asked the closest person.

"Someone heard gunshots. Nothing ever happens here. This could be exciting!"

The short woman walked back into her shop. "Someone got shot!"

The clone put his arms down, much to Niera's dismay.

"You're a soldier. Are you going to check it out?" she asked.

"I'm on leave…but, I guess so." he stooped down to pick up his uniform.

Eylie ran to a cubbyhole and pulled out a white pair of pants and a tie front white shirt. "Here you can wear these! It might take too long to put that complicated uniform back on, someone might really be hurt!"

Appreciatively, he pulled on the pants and ran out of the store clutching the lightweight jacket.

The women wiped the drool from their faces and ran out behind him.

"Let's get her out of here." Sephiroth and Reno had begun to haul Leira out of the woods.

Reno swallowed his pride. He never pictured himself in this position with Sephiroth. He did not like it one bit. The redhead tried to keep in step with the ex-Shinra warrior but tripped over a small pebble. As his footing faltered, Leira's body threatened to drag them both down.

Men women and children slowly appeared through the trees. Each citizen had heard or heard of the now infamous shots.

"Watch it you moron! If Reeve finds anything else wrong you'll be in worse favor then I am."

The Turk rolled his eyes. All the staring was making him nervous. "That's what we get for living in a small town." he let the words out with a small amount of disgust.

The lieutenant arrived on the scene. He did not want to be there but he also wanted to maintain his cover while he was still able to keep his identity secret. He had gotten a sleeve of the white shirt tangled on his left arm, causing the garment to twist.

Sephiroth and some other man had the Elite sandwiched between them.

The Turk had his eyes trained on the ground but remembered Sephiroth's anger about tripping. He investigated the faces once more. Someone caught his attention. As the two men got closer, this person seemed to take on a certain familiarity. A tall man dressed in white caused his curiosity to pique.

The ex-general realized Reno had slowed down his pace. "What is it now?" he huffed impatiently.

Reno's scanned this person furiously. His blue eyes picked up a number on the man's bicep. "Twenty…" he had tried to keep his thinking aloud to himself.

"What was that?" One more outburst from the Shinra bottom feeder and Sephiroth was just going to move the woman by himself. His schedule was getting tighter and Reno was not helping.

The Timal clone fidgeted when he discovered that the eyes of Sephiroth's companion locked on him: or rather his arm. He quickly snapped his arm out of the sleeve and slid the article of clothing into its correct position, in an attempt to throw the man off. Silently, he prayed that Sephiroth had not noticed his mistake. Now was not the time. The Elite was so close to him, he could taste her.

Sephiroth felt a pull as his partner shifted his direction. "Reno, quit killing time. This isn't the occasion to flirt!" Leira's full weight was bearing down on him as the Turk slipped out from underneath her. He looked up just in time to see Reno walking away.

"I'll be back in a minute."

Sephiroth growled in aggravation. "Never mind!" he hissed. He wanted to get to the full story of what had happened; unfortunately, the Turk was the only one that could possibly answer his questions. He growled once more and slowly made his way out of the woods. Hopefully, Reno would help him sometime soon.

The clone backed up a bit as he noticed the strange man with sunglasses make a b-line for him. He tugged the flaps of his shirt tighter around his torso.

"Hey, you!" the red headed man singled him out.

The man in white blinked. "Me?" The Timal copy tried his best to carry a heavy Wutai accent.

"You know you almost look like a friend of mine." Reno was gazing at the man's facial features next.

"I'm sorry?"

"You got the same color eyes as him. Come to think of it…you sound like him too." Reno rubbed at his chin. He found himself struggling about whether or not he should ask the man about his tattoo.

"I'm sorry. I don't know you. Any resemblance I have to your friend is purely coincidental."

Reno tugged at his long rat-tail. "Eh? Whatever. You use bigger words than he did anyway." Reno dismissed the man as he moved on but not entirely.

Even complete strangers were out to ruin the reputation of the original twenty-nine. The clone prayed that Sephiroth had not noticed any of the conversation. His lord was still hauling the woman. The pair of tailors were busy gossiping to friends. Without a second thought, the clone seized the opportunity to break from them. He anticipated returning to the Highwind and radioing his creator. The promise of his proud bloodline continuing was filling him with excitement. The tall man would tell of the arrival of number seventeen's body and the reclamation of Sephiroth and Leira. His feet began to beat at the ground propelling him faster and faster toward his destination.

Sephiroth's burden began to lighten. Maybe he was getting used to the feel of her. He chose to offer a small verbal assault anyway. "You're done trying to pass your genes so soon?"

Reno repositioned Leira's arm around his neck. "Whatever, pops."

Sephiroth crooked an eyebrow. "I wish you wouldn't call me that. Do you have any idea where we're supposed to be taking her? I really don't know how long I can keep this up…besides, it's rather embarrassing."

The Turk used a free hand to point down a path. "Yeah. I got a place."

"Who are you?" The voice of the woman in the lab coat had returned.

Leira remained silent. An overwhelming darkness spread itself out around her. Her body felt like it was on fire despite the cool dankness.

"Why don't you want to talk to your mother?"

Leira could not let the question go unanswered. "My mother's dead."

The woman walked around to face her. Her shape seemed to shift. Before Leira knew it, a woman with short curly red hair and blue eyes was looking her in the face. "I'm right here, Lee-lee." She whispered softly as she adjusted the green woolen cable sweater that hung sloppily around her shoulders. She looked just like her deceased mother. Why the change from the first woman? Who was she?

Leira felt a finger graze the hollow of her chin. "Mom?!" She recognized the sweater as a birthday present that she and her father had purchased. The article of clothing had been too big but Reann Thompson still wore it for her daughter. A force was trying to manipulate her. She had to fight it lest she return to the thirteen year old who was violated.

The woman had bent at the waist and twisted her head around to examine Leira from below the shoulders. "It's me, hun." Her clothing began to slide from heavy SOLDIER battle armor to soft sweater and tan pants.

"You're not my mother!" Leira tried to throw a punch someone grabbed and mercilessly yanked her arms out to their sides.

The form of Lieandra's mother stopped flickering and put her hands on her hips. She leaned in. The smell of decay was growing stronger. The blue eyes turned yellow. A sick perverse grin shone on the woman's face. Rows and rows of sharp needlelike teeth jutted out between slightly parted lips. "You're going to see us soon. My precious daughter will be coming home, at last!"

The painful crucifix that was Leira's body throbbed numbly. She could almost feel some kind of strange pulse beat beneath her underarms. Her chin rested against her collarbone. A lukewarm trickle of drool leisurely dripped from her mouth.

The woman's voice took on a lisp. "My children are going to recover you and bring you home to me!"

Leira's eyes caught sight of a silver set of bangs below one of her arms. "Seph…" she forced the once grand name out into the wind only to have it halted.

The demonic creature, that had once been her mother, kissed her forehead and vanished just as Reno appeared below her other arm.

Sephiroth stopped. A pain pierced the soft tissues of his eyes. The word "mother" echoed throughout his brain.

"You're picking on me for stopping?!" Reno glanced at his Shinra coworker. "Damn, old age must be a bitch!"

Sephiroth shut his eyes and took in a couple shallow breaths. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Maybe it is."

"Now don't go trying to say that…what did you say?!" Reno was flabbergasted that the man had actually agreed with him. The wind had just been let out of his sails.

Had time run out that quickly? The ex-general contemplated silently. "No they have to find her first. Even if there might be someone here! One still won't be enough!"

Reno caught Sephiroth speaking out. He was about to ask something but paused. He suddenly found himself thrown off guard.

It was Sephiroth's turn to glance at his partner. "I must have hit senility already." He began to walk again.

Reno could not understand what was going on inside Sephiroth's head. He actually found himself quite nervous. The prospect of Leira having her memories returned and Sephiroth's third coming was not boding well for him. He tried to recall the words that Reeve had beat into him close to eight years ago, concerning Sephiroth, Leira and Hojo's Jenova Project. Reno had first thought of it as a scare tactic, while time carried on. At that moment, walking side by side with Sephiroth, he was unsure.

"No one's coming for me…" both men's concentration was broken.

They looked at Leira's limp features. Her lips were moving. "No one's coming for me…" she said again. Her black thigh high flat-soled boots took on a life of their own and began to pound at the ground. The Elite's strong legs kicked at the dirt wildly and made her shoulders bob up and down.

The men did their best not to drop her. Sephiroth's mouth hung open while Reno gripped by fear. The redhead had hoped that this whole episode was nothing more than a nightmare. He had a hard time telling whether he was more concerned for himself or the woman that he had fallen in love with.

Sasha Tate had been one of the many drawn to the wooded area. A fifty seven year old jack-of-all-trades who found himself in command of one of the greatest world armies since SOLDIER. He had known Reeve since they were both children. When Reeve assumed presidency, Sasha was the first man that he had addressed. To have the same man that he had befriended from boy hood to be this upset was unnerving. He and Cait Sith had thought it best to escape Reeve's temper tantrums. The pair had taken a wrong turn and found themselves a couple hundred yards from the airship.

"Mr. Cat…I think you're onboard compass must be broken." The general crossed his arms. True, he was not much help himself. He had only been to Wutai once as a salesman, during his teenage years.

The Mog lightly punched the man in black and white clothes. "SHEDD…up?" The tiny cat saw a blur of white and brown on a collision coarse with them. The android casually stepped aside.

The gangplank was in sight. The clone licked his lips. "GET OUT OF MY WAY!" He whispered a spell as his heart began to pump faster and faster.

The general froze to the ground. A gentle gust of wind slowly brushed against him. "Eh?" The next thing he knew the slight breeze became a gale force wind and blew him to the ground as the man in white ran by.

"What do you suppose was his rush?" the mog scratched at the cat's brow.

The general was flat out on his back. He shook his head and used the giant creature as a way to pull himself to his feet. "That was no ordinary civilian! I thought Wutai had strict rules on magic and or materia use!"

The cat considered the man's statement. "Hey, you're right! AFTER THAT MAN!" The large creature with tiny purple bat wings hopped in the direction of the airship. General Sasha Tate was not far behind. "Great more running…" he panted.

Clone Twenty Nine C was now up the gangplank and into the ship's belly. He could hardly wait to see his brothers and sisters on this tiny island of Wutai. His creator's dreams would finally become reality.

Reeve came around a corner and found himself eye to eye with the Timal clone. "No admittance to civilians. This is NOT a taxi service, for Christ's sake."

The clone's face wavered from the shock of having someone appear out of seemingly thin air to the menacing smile of a much hoped for battle. He crouched low to the ground, with the tip of his tongue sticking out between his lips. His right palm was flat to the cold metal ground.

Reeve stepped back and dropped the clipboard he was carrying. Several faces flashed through his memory. "Hey! You're the cl…!"

The third generation Sephiroth clone kicked his left leg out in a low powerful roundhouse kick.

Reeve's knees buckled and he slouched forward while his body began to fall backwards.

The clone rose and used his left hand as a tool to push the aging president's face away from him. His run had started anew. The radio room was down through the very same hallway.

After he hit the ground, Reeve grabbed the man's ankles just in time and was able to trip him. "You're going to stay away from my NIECE!"

"UMMMMMMMMMMMMMWAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUGH!" Timal's clone landed on his stomach. The impact of his chin smacking the Highwind floor had made something in his neck pop. His unnaturally white teeth pierced the skin of his lower lip. Blood was now flowing from the cuts caused by his upper incisors.

Reeve moved up the white clad Wutai body. He did not care if the clone was conscious or not.

The clone's body snapped and the bloodied face was piercing Reeve's concentration. A red and black mixture was oozing down his chin. The blood from his mother coated his tongue triggering a taste that was salty, sweet, and tinny. The rough pink, black and red member passed from corner to corner. The clone smiled. He was enjoying this. A pang of realization made his left leg bend slightly.

Reeve still focused on the man's face. He forced his right sleeve up. He wanted to defend his niece but he also wanted to keep his shirt clean. The next thing to attract the President's attention was a light brown bare foot.

The clone's sole collided into the cartilage in Reeve's nose, sending him a few inches across the floor.

Reeve slid on his back and fought as hard as he could to get upright.

The blood of Jenova and his human host had already splattered his white jacket. The altercation had also caused tears to form in the lightweight fabric. The handsome face had never lost its smile. He watched gleefully as the battered President began to limp his way over.

Once in range, the six foot four doppelganger delivered a front snap kick to Reeve's midsection followed up by a spinning left roundhouse kick.

Reeve crunched to the cold floor as his lungs burned in an effort to try to pull in oxygen. His vision became blurred and yellow. Tiny white lights were threatening to obscure his focus of his niece's possible kidnapper.

The clone's bare feet slapped against the floor. He stopped right above Reeve and spit at him.

The wet mix of saliva and blood impacted with a barely noticeable thud right above the President's heart.

Leira's uncle writhed. He needed to stay awake…or was it…he needed to stay alive?

"Hmmph." The clone covered the lower part of his face with the inside of his elbow and pulled the sleeve across his mouth. He began to assess his own injuries. Small tears in his gums and a broken canine also accompanied the cuts in his lips. He laughed to himself as he jogged down the hall. That would explain the loss of so much blood.

The large metal door to the radio room was approaching. This was the decisive moment.

The door opened.

The clone's bare sweaty feet did their best to slide to a halt. "Too many interruptions…" he chuckled.

One of Reeve's men had walked out. "Sorry, buddy, you're not supposed to be in here."

At least the clone still had the appearance of being one of the local islanders.

"STOP THAT MAN!" Roared a mechanical bellow.

Twenty-Nine C stood tall and proud. He calmly passed his fingers through his short hair.

Reeve's officer was able to see Cait Sith bouncing up to them. His eyes wandered from civilian to android. "Whoa, dude, what happened to you?" He immediately noticed the multicolored blood splotches.

A guffaw arose from the clone. "Well, you see, it kind of happened like THIS!" His right hand shot out with the thumb and pointer spread apart and grabbed the unsuspecting man by the throat.

General Tate walked in just as the Timal clone's fingers and thumb broke through the officer's throat. The effect was similar to the opening of an aluminum can. Each knuckle bent and constricted. The poor victim did his best to squeal during the ordeal but after the skin had been broken not even air could escape. His lifeblood gurgled out through his nose mouth and neck.

The clone opened up his grip and threw the close to lifeless body against a wall before he finally decided to address his "former" general. He playfully put two fingers to his brow and gave the man a salute. He had almost forgotten about the radio room. "Gotta fly!"

Tate ran at him but missed. The clone reached his destination and slammed the door in his face.

After locking out the man and cat team, the Hojo construct scoured the small room. He was the only one. He felt almost bored. Quickly he snatched up the radio. After his bloodied fingers tapped a couple keys and turned a few dials, he was ready to send his message. "Twenty Nine C has landed in Wutai. Both the natural projects are here. I have number seventeen as well. Everyone here is alive…"

The metal door began to bang and shake.

"Everyone is alive?" an emotionless female voice responded over the seemingly dead signal.

The clone was not permitted to answer in time. A hail of gunshots blocked out any chance of replying.

Sasha tossed his emptied sidearm at the cat and kicked the door open.

The clone stood in the doorway with arms folded. "Do you mind? I needed to make an important call."

"I could care less." Tate spat. He launched a punch at the clone and caught his nose. "You killed two of my men and you took down one of my friends!"

Twenty-Nine C put a hand to his nose while he lowered his chin.

"LOOK OUT!" shouted Cait Sith.

The Timal clone pivoted on one foot and tried to execute a spinning back kick.

Sasha Tate was ready for it. The clone's kick had gone high so he was ready to duck out of its way. He made a fist with his right hand and sent it into his attacker's groin.

Twenty-Nine C was not used to this type of feeling. His knees locked up and he fell against a chair.

The general capitalized and pulled the folding chair out from underneath him. He used it a club and smacked him across the face. By this time, the radio had flicked off on its own. Sasha noticed that a call went through. "Who were you talking to?!"

His victim was grinning as he clutched at himself to try to ease and block any new pains. "It's a surprise," he whispered.

Cait Sith entered the radio room. He noticed the black twenty-nine tattooed to the clone's arm. "You're the guy from the beach!"

"That guy's a clone!" The general's distraction was enough for Twenty Nine C to pull himself up to a standing position. He wrenched the steel chair out of the man's possession and delivered his own crushing blow.

The mog and cat team bounded forward, Tate was knocked unconscious. The Huge white paddle-like paws of the giant mog did their best to pound the man in white. The clone proved to be too nimble. The cat did his best to shout orders to his ride but to no avail. The heavy creature was too slow. The SOLDIER's copy managed to get behind him and began to chant. He did not own any materia but, because of his strange mixture of blood types, the ability to cast spells was no different. One white foot lifted and returned to the floor followed by the other. The mog had successfully managed to turn around and face the Nibelheim spy.

The cat started to clap. "Now we've got you!" His tiny shoes danced around the shoulders of the creature that supported him.

The chant had finished and the toysaurus unintentionally wrote it off. The copy raised his hands and swished them from side to side in the air. "I guess you did."

Bolts of lightning materialized and rocketed into Cait Sith's circuitry. In milliseconds, both android components were overcome and overloaded. The mog's arms spun around madly as thick black smoke began to billow from its ears. The tiny cat left shoulder exploded and became a small flamethrower.

The proposed Sephiroth clone winked and gave another smile. Rather than attempt to finish his message, he forced himself to see his mission as being a complete success. He got to kick ass and inform his masters of the arrival of the Elite, Sephiroth, and SOLDIER sixteen. The ship's onboard fire detection system activated and began to sound a warning claxon. Torrents of extinguisher fluid poured out of sprinklers suspended from the ceiling.

Timal Klefmon's copy ran out of the Highwind with even more hopes for his future.

The beaten general pulled himself to his feet. His nose bloodied and his clothing was sopping wet. He punched a panel on the wall beside him and grabbed a fire extinguisher. He yanked out the safety and pulled the trigger right before another jet of orange flame could escape the dismantled Cait Sith.

Red and yellow lights flashed on and off throughout the ship. Anyone left onboard began to converge on the radio room; including Reeve. The bruised President stood helpless, as he was able to grasp the loss of yet another Cait Sith unit. "General, where's the clone?!"

As his men hurried to stop the smoldering of the android and turn off the alert system, Sasha Tate had been faced with failure again. "…He got away mister president…"


	26. Sweet Rejoice

The group of loosely formed alliances and friends walked through the wooded area outside the prison ward. A large crowd was working its way along the worn brown path. It appeared that they were all heading back into town.

"That's something you don't see everyday?" Tifa said as she wiped a tear from her eye.

"Wonder what happened." Yuffie pondered as she paused next to Rude.

Vincent froze and turned to Cid. "Should I even bother to tell you that I don't like this one bit?"

The old pilot ran a finger across his lower lip. "Vince, you worry too much."

The dead man refused to dismiss the gathering as chance. He idled his way over to two females, left Cid, and the others behind.

"…You really think he went back to the shop?"

"Forget that. Do you really think he's a soldier? He didn't seem to want to help anyone."

"Yeah, you're right, Niera. When you're right you're right. That girl seemed to be pretty bad off."

The ex-Turk could not help but overhear the conversation. "May I ask what girl?"

The two women from the renovated materia shop whirled around, frightened by the sudden additional voice of the dead man.

"Hey, we've seen you before!" Eylie smiled.

"Yes." said Niera. "You visited here with Miss Yuffie!"

"We operate the materia shop!"

"Yeah the last time you visited here we ONLY sold clothes and items."

Vincent nodded with disinterest. He could vaguely remember his last visit to Wutai. In actuality, he was trying to forget.

"It wasn't the fault of Godo's daughter. She just wanted to help the poor town flourish the right way…that's all." Eylie offered.

The man in the scarlet cloak refrained from insulting them. "I'm sorry. What girl were you talking about? The one that seemed to be 'bad off'."

The two looked at each other. "Well, since we owe you and your friends." Niera hesitated and looked into the ex-Turk's red eyes. "Eylie and I think she got shot!" she clasped her hands to her heart. "The poor girl was being dragged away by that damn pig Reno and some lovely hunk of a man."

For a second Vincent could almost swear he saw large red hearts form in both women's eyes.

"He was tall and had long white hair that went down past his…" Eylie's excitement was beginning to overwhelm her as she recalled seeing the man known as Sephiroth for the first time in her life.

Vincent stormed off to rejoin the group. Why was no one else able to see that Reno and Sephiroth could not be trusted? He had witnessed first hand the myriad of faces set forth by the silver haired ex war hero on their journey to Midgar.

"…Hey! Where's he goin'?"

Niera shrugged her shoulders at him. "Forget about it. Let's just see if that guy's back." The girls raced back to their shop.

"Say, Vince, what'd you find out?" Highwind asked.

The little ninja folded her arms in impatience. "Yeah, what did those two cows have to offer?"

Tifa bopped the little one on the head. "Yuffie!"

The little girl grabbed her brow and howled.

Vincent found himself to be less than thrilled with the ongoing string of events. He eyed Rude precariously before voicing his findings. "Leira's been hurt."

Yuffie put her fingers to her lips and gasped.

Rude clenched his fists above his chest. He knew the Elite longer than anyone in the small group did. He knew that something bad must have happened to result in her being wounded.

"She was spotted unconscious in the company of Sephiroth and Reno." Vincent let his eyes shut as his chin lowered.

Everyone's eyes suddenly fell upon Rude. "What…what?! I thought Sephiroth was the bad guy here!"

Vincent raised his forefinger. He was not partial to most people. When it came to the Turks and Shinra in general, his hatred could not have been anymore intense. "As far as I'm…"

A loud beeping went off. Cid looked around stupidly as he fumbled at his right sleeve. "Hang on, hang on…hey, Vince, hold that thought."

Valentine dropped his finger as Cid began to curse.

A black text message had appeared in a tiny panel on Cid's wristwatch. Shera had picked up the silver and gold trinket as a birthday present for his thirty-third birthday, shortly after the fall of Meteor. In spite of the fact that he detested the woman, he could not let good intentions go unrecognized. Besides, it allowed him to monitor his real love. "MY BABY! SHE NEEDS ME!" The blonde haired pilot jiggled his head. "GODDAMN MOTHERFUCKIN'…"

Vincent and the others found themselves relieved that the remnants of Cid Highwind's tirade had become unintelligible.

The grizzled pilot wasted no time. "FIRE?! I'll show those bastards!" His tan work boots dug into the loose brown Wutai soil. The Highwind was in trouble and he aimed to be there.

Vincent found himself torn. The man that provided him with a job as well as room and board was in crisis as well as the woman that he found himself sullenly attracted.

"Don't worry Vin-man! We'll rescue the fair maiden!" Yuffie lifted the first two fingers of her right hand high into the air and balanced herself on her toes.

Vincent felt a headache coming on. Why was he not surprised to hear Yuffie's voice first? Clouded with uncertainty, he could do no more than give in to her offer. "Cid, slow down. I'm sure it's nothing!" he shouted after the exasperated pilot.

"Anyone surprised that the old goat can read show your hands!" Yuffie beamed

Tifa Lockheart kept her annoyance with the girl in check. She tucked herself into the arms of her husband. "Do you think we should follow?"

Rude did not answer. Two of his former coworkers were involved with another situation. He was more interested in his teammates than some malfunctioning old airship. He removed himself from his young wife and stormed off towards town.

Yuffie felt sympathy for the buxom barmaid. She patted Tifa's shoulder. "I guess once a Turk always a Turk…"

The tall brunette beat her fists together. "I don't understand what would make her more important than me…I'm his wife!"

For the first time ever, the boyish youth could not come back with a cheerful quip. "I'm gonna go help him find Leira!" Yuffie gave a small hug to her friend and did her best to catch up with Rude. "If I know Reno as well as I think, I should find her first!"

"But they're with Sephiroth, too." Tifa gave a solemn shrug. She could not bring herself to confront Sephiroth again and the Highwind troubles seemed to have recruited the best people for the job. "I'm going home." Lonely, she too headed back into the business district of Wutai. She and Rude had bought a small house near the main gates to the resort town.

The former owner had been an elderly man and his granddaughter. After he had passed away, the teenage girl had decided to sell. The desire to move onto a new setting coupled with the feelings of the loss of a loved one had become too painful for her to face. The only option she ever entertained was to leave her past behind and look toward a brighter future for herself.

It was Rude that decided to buy Yuffie's old house, less than one block away, and move Reno into Wutai…much to his wife's chagrin.

On the other side of the woods Phiphat was overly excited. He skipped up to Godo's temple full of hope and accomplishment. There was good in everyone, even Turks, he reminded himself. He had not followed his teachings of mercy blindly.

After ascending the wooden steps, he pulled on one of the doors and almost forgot to remove his shoes. He galloped back to the porch and removed his sandals. He felt like a child again. His lost uncle and mischievous second cousin would get an honorable burial; nothing could go wrong.

The nightingale floor seemed to chirp of his victory with each carefree footfall. A low wailing sound halted his quickened canter. An aroma of incense wafted through the hallway. Dull flashes of candlelight were emanating from a room further down.

The closer he got the more he became aware of low voices accompanying the wails of…anguish? He quietly peeked around the doorway.

The room was red in color and decorated with several busts of Wutai's most recognizable deities. What seemed like millions of glowing white candles hung from tiny golden holders. A long cherry wood table was placed in the center. On top of the shiny black grain surface was a young girl with black hair. Her pallid skin matched the sheets placed over her chest. If it had not been for her dark hair, he would have thought the chieftain's daughter was laid out along the tabletop.

A young boy seated directly across from him wore a shiny blue robe. The Wutai symbol for speed was emblazoned in yellow on his back. The boy had short black hair with a multicolored sweatband wrapped around it. The young monk got the feeling that the boy was an athlete of some sort. Either that or he was conceited.

To the left and right of the child knelt a man in green and a woman in purple and silver. One side of the man's face was visible to him. The same was for the female. Both seemed to be in their mid to late thirties. Phiphat wondered if either of them had a symbol stitched into the robes that they wore. He found himself amused by the similarities in the grayish hair color between the two.

A much older and larger man sat at the girl's head. He wore tiny spectacles above his rounded pudgy nose and a dull gray robe. His full features were available for the youth's perusal. 'He must be someone important. The other three must be of the highest admiration as well.' Phiphat considered.

The four bowed their heads and sat in silence.

"You know, I don't see why that tramp gets more say than any of us here!" the boy in the blue robe's head inched from left to right. "This wench ain't even from around Wutai and she WAS Shinra ta boot!"

The woman with gray hair placed a gentle hand on his knee. "Now, Shake. You know Yuffie is the daughter of our lord. Despite her recklessness, she does mean well."

The man on the left nodded. "We as citizens and spiritual mediums need to show that we are capable of forgiveness. This girl was so young and look at the fate she was dealt. She died while protecting her companions."

"That's what Yuffie told Omni. For all we know, she could've been part of that Reno's harem! How do we know she didn't just trip and fall while shaving off her chest hair?!"

The man with glasses rubbed his chinstrap styled beard. Shake's words were always at their extreme when Yuffie's name was involved. The man known as Gorki had served as Godo's confidant for countless years. He knew of Yuffie's lax behavior just like anyone else. Unlike his youngest counterpart, he knew that patience and understanding were the true way of life. "You need to learn to trust people more. Don't…"

"Yeah, yeah…I know…don't judge a book by its cover…" Shake spewed out.

The woman beside him shielded her face from the juvenile. "Every year he gets worse and worse!"

"Chekohov?" Gorki observed the woman's sarcastic tone and cleaned off his glasses. "Would you like to share anything?"

The man on the other side of Shake stepped up. "It seems odd that Yuffie was suddenly able to overcome her selfish ways. The last thing I would have expected to hear from that girl was a ritual burning…"

"Staniv, people change!" shot Chekohov as she slapped the boy separating them.

Phiphat found himself taking the woman's words to heart. He had indeed learned this same lesson in a short span of hours.

Two heavy hands found themselves placed atop his shoulders. "Oh, so it's you."

The three at the table halted their discussion and glared into the hallway. "Is he a friend of yours, lord Godo?" Chekohov asked patiently.

"I wouldn't say 'friend'." The Wutai head put in. "This boy here," he pushed Phiphat for all to see, "is the one that I've been warning you to look out for."

"The one with the Shinra family?" Staniv looked the boy over.

"You've got some nerve hauling you ugly face in here!" Shake turned his body around and leered at the young monk.

Godo let go of the boy and knelt beside Gorki. "You can stay if you'd like but no word of your family."

Phiphat grudgingly agreed to the invitation and pressed himself into a corner.

"I believe you all know how we will proceed with this ceremony. I'll make this quick. Yuffie wants the body burned and not buried. That friend of hers knows our corpse so that's fine by me."

"Whatever Yuffie wants she gets." Shake spat.

Godo's eyes went wide with mortification.

"That's about the size of it." Staniv smiled.

Phiphat could bear it no longer. "This girl is Shinra! Yuffie's friend is Shinra! How is it you bend the rules for that girl, when I'm in the same boat?!"

"SILENCE!" Godo slammed a fist into the table just missing the leg of the girl's corpse.

"NO!" Phiphat jumped to his feet and stormed over to the table. He tugged at the skirting of his robe with both hands in an attempt to keep himself from hitting anyone. "I'll ignore that you say you only need one person to beatify this child. ONWARD IT'S DONE! NEXT TOPIC…" he pulled his turban off his head and held it to his stomach. "…Lord Godo, I found two people to beatify my uncle and cousin. I only ask that you hear their words and decide for yourself. Your daughter's friend also knows my relatives…"

Chekohov twiddled her thumbs. "People do change…" she stated with a muffled cough. "Most people share the same concerns about honoring the dead."

"Yuffie said." Shake prodded.

Staniv regarded the purple clad monk with a quiet admiration. "The rules were that two people speak for him. If he got them, I don't see why we can't make it a double undertaking."

"Bring them here and I'll make a judgment. You've tried my patience enough today. Get out of my sight." Yuffie's father scoffed.

After replacing his cloth turban Phiphat ambled out of the emperor's home. The leader of Wutai had finally given in. In spite of feeling shaken beyond his usual comfort level, the boy regained his feelings of victory. He need only find the Shinra woman and man, in order to set the spirits of his disgraced family free.

"I've had it!" Sephiroth snapped. A fingertip snaked around the front of the Elite and found its way inches from Reno's nose. "I didn't want to do this but this is the third time you've tripped!"

"Relax, old man, she's still upright isn't she?! 'Sides, she stopped that weird hopping."

Sephiroth's head moved from side to side violently. "I can't take being here with you anymore!"

The redheaded Turk kept his tongue in check. He wanted to give Sephiroth the time to continue his rant. The former general did not follow up with words. His eyes squeezed shut in concentration.

Reno felt a cool wind circle them accompanied by a white cloud of dust. The world around him flickered like a television monitor. It shifted from forest to darkness and than to forest and what looked to be the inside of someone's house. "What are you…" He swallowed and suddenly found himself standing in what looked link a living room. "…Doing?"

Sephiroth felt a trickle of sweat race down from his hairline. It had been months since he had used a similar teleportation spell to abduct Cloud from Rocket Town. He was at a loss to recall the last time he had transported two people.

"That's a neat trick!" Although the spell had left him feeling queasy, Reno had to give Sephiroth credit. "We're home! This is my home!"

Sephiroth chomped on his lip. "How the hell did that happen?!" He wanted to scream. The last place he had wanted to be was at the Turk's bordello.


	27. Limbo

Yuffie skipped along behind Rude until she noticed him stop outside the Turtle's Paradise. She had the suspicion that Leira was not to be found there. A little voice in the back of her head told her to go home. The ninja looked over her left shoulder. The place that she had once called home was less than twenty feet away. It had been almost two years since she last visited the dwelling. She was impressed that the man she had dated had kept the outside looking nice. Could it be that Reno, Leira and Sephiroth had decided to hide here? She was willing to play that hunch.

Sephiroth's stomach flip-flopped. He noticed a chair close by. "I need to rest. Take her somewhere and find a way to clean her off." He sat down in the cushiony reclining chair and closed his eyes.

"Yeah, sure. Make yourself at home." Reno muttered. Luckily, the bathroom was not too far away. Since he had taken ownership of the small home, many renovations had been made. A larger bathroom was added as well as another bedroom. Yuffie had been quite the cat lover also. A shed used to extend from the house. After his first night, Reno had decided to have it removed due to the constant meowing and hissing of her little furry friends.

The Turk remembered the first night he had ever shared with the Elite. She had been promoted in Junon the same time that he was accepted as a Turk. She needed to be dragged around somewhere out of the way because of her drunkenness. Being the person he was Reno had volunteered his own dorm room.

He pulled her into the washroom of his house and laid her out in the bathtub. He flicked a light switch, after setting her down. "At least I had help getting you here." The Turk removed his jacket, tie and shirt. He leaned over the side of the porcelain bathtub and began to unbutton Leira's overdress. There were so many golden buttons he found himself not wanting to retain his patience. He grabbed the black collar and slid his hand into the split causing each snap to push open. With a mild popping noise, the fabric parted and Leira's skin and undershirt became visible. The role of back support shifted between his left and right arm as he pulled the sleeveless covering off her.

Reno found himself on his knees studying her sleeping face. He tucked his hands to his temples and stared at her. In spite of her muscular appearance, she retained the qualities that he had fallen in love with. "Full pouting lips, nice naturally tanned skin, great legs." Reno pretended to let his head drop into the cold white surface beneath his elbows. Why did he not stay with her?

He turned the silver knob for the warm water. He left Leira's black leggings and undershirt on since he was not sure of how she would react to being in this awkward situation with him. The water bubbled out of its spout and covered the bottom of the tub. The wetness quickly overcame her fingers, hands and feet while the Shinra uniform began to absorb the water and turn a darker shade of black.

Leira's chest heaved upwards. Some of her hair had slid off her shoulders. "MMMMMmmmmmm." he hummed. "She always did have a great set of…" A strange discoloration poked out above the deep neckline of her undershirt. It looked like the beginning of some sort of scar.

The water level started to rise and lapped at her back and below her knees.

Reno put a finger into the elastic of her top and slowly began to lift it up.

The hair that had fallen below her shoulders rose and drifted with each pull of the miniature current.

Leira had suffered plenty of injuries but this one, close to heart, seemed like something else to him. There had been plenty of medical breakthroughs before and after the time of Meteor. A couple of those same scientific discoveries eliminated skin disorders caused by acne and surgical scarring. He knew that during her time with him, she had undergone several of those treatments. Why was this scar here?

He rested his hand below his upper lip. There were so many explanations but one of them fought for recognition above the others. Two of his friends in Shinra took their friendships very seriously. One of the men in particular came to mind. "They hated each other didn't they?"

Reno continued to pull the shirt further out.

The running water had covered her elbows.

"AAAAAAAAAAAaaaaa…" Leira's green eyes flashed open as she screamed.

Reno quickly withdrew his finger in surprise and pushed himself away from the area of the tub. His back hit the wall behind him

The Elite's pulse was racing. The shock of finding herself in a body of water with a half naked man above her was distressing. Her buttocks slid forward and her thighs slid into the backs of her calves. Her head slid underwater while Reno tried to gather himself.

His heart was pounding almost as hard as hers. He crawled over to her just as her waterlogged head pushed itself above the surface.

Water began to spill over the side. Reno reached out with his left arm and turned off the water.

"What am I doing here?" Leira asked.

Reno winced. "You had an episode of some sort. You just whipped out your gun and…" his eyes slowly drew to her facial expression.

Her lips parted and the edges of her front teeth showed. She looked like she was fighting with words.

"Never mind. How are you? You had me scared. I thought you were mad at me or something."

"Reno…I don't know how I am…is Sephiroth around? I thought I saw him with you…"

Why would she be asking for that freak? The Turk forgot about the scar on her chest and switched gears over to her feelings for the white haired general. He felt a little put out. "He's in the living room. He teleported us here…we're at my house."

Reno the homeowner? Maybe he had become responsible. "He is here?"

Deep inside his conscience, Reno was smacking his forehead. "Yeah. The old guy looked like he was really wiped out."

Leira started to push her way out of the tub but Reno forced her back. "You're not going anywhere!"

"I'm not?"

"No." he said flatly while pulling a black rubber band out of his hair. "I'm still worried about you. We may not be lovers anymore but that doesn't mean that I don't care."

Sephiroth heard the Elite's scream. It was good to know she was alive. He smirked when imaging the look on the Turk's face. Gently he pulled his long hair over his shoulders. It felt like a light blanket as it covered him. He detested sitting on it. The experience of forgetting about it and trying to straighten your neck was humiliating when done in front of a group. Through a side window, he noticed the sky getting darker. He needed to regain the strength that he had lost. The only way he knew to do that was to sleep.

"Lei…about Benny and Timmy…"

Leira looked into Reno's blue eyes.

"…Yes…"

"I don't think I can do it. I've changed a lot since then. I've got a good living here…as far as everyone knows I'm not Shinra anymore. Those days are through."

Leira put her hands to her brow. "How could you?" she said shortly. "If it was me and not them…would you be this same way?"

"But you're not. You're alive!"

"I'd be there for you, Reno…if it was you…" her eyes focused on the water lapping at her body. It wasn't as warm as it had been minutes earlier. The small waves caused by her breathing triggered a thought. Maybe it was pointless to have Timal and Navig pardoned. Timal was the reason for this whole ordeal anyway. From what she had heard back on the Highwind, Timal's body stood a good chance of being cloned anyway. No use in preventing more clones that way.

She took the waistband of her leggings and started to work them off. The mud from her clothing drifted around the bottom of the bathtub. Whatever had happened to her in the woods had made her feel dirty mentally and physically.

Leira's former lover handed a bar of soap to her. "I'll get a washcloth and a towel," he said as he got to his feet. Reno peered into the living room on his way to the linen closet. Sephiroth lay in the chair asleep.

A loud series of bangs echoed through the living area. Reno glanced at the sleeping man.

The former Shinra general began to toss in his slumber. His face pressed into the side of the chair.

The banging continued. Reno ran over to the door and opened it. "WHAT DO YOU...?!"

A frightened Yuffie looked up at him with puppy dog eyes. Her lower lip was quivering.

"I DON'T WANT ANY!" The redhead tried to slam the door on the girl.

"That's Sephiroth in there!" she squealed.

"Yeah, what of it?!"

"Leira's in there, too!"

Reno had continued to push the door closed but Yuffie kept forcing the door open.

"I…want…to…go…"

Reno's full weight was on the door. He tried to shove it closed. The last person he wanted to see was Yuffie.

"…In…THERE!" Yuffie let go and dealt a spinning back kick to the wooden door.

Reno smacked into the floor. His long hair sprawled around him as his body came to rest beneath the foot of Sephiroth's chair.

The young girl flashed a devilish grin as she hopped up and down.

Reno rolled his eyes.

"Wren, never mind! I'll find the damn things myself! What's with all the damn…hello?" Leira walked around to the living room and stood in the doorway.

Yuffie's head moved up and down. Her eyes flashed to the fallen Reno, Sephiroth still asleep, and shot over to Leira standing in her underclothes. "Am I interrupting a threesome or something…?"

Leira blushed.

"You know…I think Tifa's are just a bit bigger than yours." Yuffie walked over Reno and pushed a finger between the woman's breasts.

The Turk could stand it no longer. He pushed the kid out of the way, grabbed a bright green towel out of the hallway linen closet and handed it to Leira.

The Elite accepted the long soft cloth and wrapped it around her half naked waist. "Thanks for telling me, Yuffie."

The redheaded Turk scowled. "What do you want here anyway?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Yuffie!"

"Fine, fine, okay…Vincent overheard these two girls talking. It turns out they saw you," she pointed at the Elite; "being dragged away by these two bumpkins." she bent at the waist and gripped her wrist behind her buttocks while tapping her left foot. "You drew quite a crowd. We all thought you were shot."

"Her?! What about me?" Reno scratched his head. "She shot at me!"

Leira glanced at her ex-boyfriend. "I must have missed…I never miss." she winked at Yuffie.

"We split up into groups, except for Tifa. Cid got a distress call from the Highwind, so he and Vincent went to check it out. Everyone was worried about you." The little girl finished.

"What's going on at the Highwind?" Leira looked over at Reno. What was supposed to be a fairly routine visit was becoming so much more. Why couldn't things be easy for a change?

Vincent was the first to notice smoke wafting through open doors and vents in the Highwind. The black flumes floated on the gentle winds high above the forest canopy.

"Well, Vince. I don't see how capable people like my crew could ever let something happen to the bikini goddess. Maybe we should just go back and pay the pub a visit."

Vincent was mortified by the site of the smoking airship. He mortified by the reaction his friend would have once he noticed that his prized airship really was or did have problems more. "Uh…sure Cid…let's go back into town." He put his hands on the old pilot's shoulders and tried to turn him around.

"Wait a minute…what's with you? Why are you so agreeable right now? What's gotten into…" Cid Highwind forced the dead man away from him and looked into his red eyes.

Vincent could do little to hide the uneasiness welling up inside. "Cid, don't look."

"Don't look at what?" The blonde haired pilot looked down the path. "HOLY CHRIST!"

"…That…" Vincent lowered his head in shame.

Cid wasted no time. He sprinted off in the direction of the wounded warplane.

The ex-Turk's head swayed from left to right. "Hang on, Cid. I'm right behind you."

Sasha Tate sat at the foot of the gangplank. A dripping white towel covered the cracked skin of his face. Nothing could have made this day worse for him.

"WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED HERE!" Cid's voice boomed.

"Almost nothing…" the general found himself withdrawing his last thought.

Two other seated men got to their feet. Despite the failure of their general, they wanted to keep a fight from breaking out.

"My airship! What did you do to it?!"

Tate coughed into his fist. The towel still covered his face and short black hair. "We had a visitor…sir."

"It smells like burning electronics out here." Vincent pointed out.

"Yes, sir." One of the men acknowledged. "Our intruder was a tough one."

"Intruder?" the black haired Turk cocked his head to the side.

"We think we picked him up from the beach in Costa del Sol," added another officer.

The general removed the towel and set it in his lap. "We think he's a clone."

"You THINK?!" Cid was becoming irate. "Wait. Why are you telling us this? Usually you people are tight lipped about sensitive issues."

Before the general or his men could answer, footsteps coming down the plank alerted them. Reeve had stepped out into the light. "Pretty soon it's not going to be a secret anymore. We picked up a clone. He found Sephiroth and we believe he radioed home from the Highwind. The bastard took out a Cait Sith unit and hightailed it out of here. He could be anywhere, right now."

One of Cid's crew marched down with a clipboard in his hand. "Mr. President, the radio room is a total waste. I don't know which was worse…the sprinklers or combustion of Mr. Sith…if it wasn't the water it was the barbeque…" he looked up from his report. "Cap'n Cid…"

The pilot dashed up the plank and pushed Reeve out of his way. His pride and joy was hurt. It may have only been the radio room but the object of his happiness needed him nonetheless.

Sash could only think to follow the pounding of Cid's footfalls on the metal strip with his ears. He causally put the towel back on his head. This was not a good day to show his face.

Vincent noticed the many discolorations on Reeve's shirt. "Are you hurt?"

The President looked at his formerly white dress shirt. "I'll live…the most of the blood is his…the fucker had the gall to spit at me…"

Vincent walked towards him. The stains on the man's shirt were different to say the least. He noticed the brown and black blood from the clone that had left a stain. He found himself shaking his head before he moved on after Cid.

Reeve took the clipboard from the crewmember. "This the damage report?"

"Yes, sir." The man answered. "It's going to be pretty expensive to fix. Without a working radio, we might be stuck here. That room was the heart of the ship's communication system."

A thought worked its way out from Reeve's lips. "That new Cait Sith unit is running late. The old unit bit the dust almost thirty minutes ago…I wonder what could be going on in Junon."

"Sir?"

"It's nothing." His general was defeated, the ship probably would not be able to fly without a radio, the longest lasting Cait Sith unit wiped out, a murderous clone was on the rampage, more clones would probably show up, and Vincent Valentine had appeared on the scene. It was not Reeve's day either.

"GOLLY BALMY HONEY! IT LOOKS LIKE A FRIGGIN' WAR ZONE IN HERE!" Cid removed the goggles from his head and tossed them down. There were spatters of blood, he assumed, left by the clone. What remained of the door to the radio room reminded him of a stinky cheese with holes in it. Pieces of the mechanical cat spread throughout the hallway. He bent to pick up an object that he had figured on being one of the tiny cat's elbows. A wet squishing sound caught his attention. He gazed down at the floor beneath his tan work boots. "Motor oil?" He put a gloved finger into the thick slick liquid. Cid's full intention was to taste it but something else came into view. A person's black military boot was resting on the floor behind his ankles.

Vincent Valentine followed the trail of blood right to Cid. Whatever had done this would definitely be something to watch out for. His red eyes finally laid upon Cid's form standing in the dim lighting. "Cid…" No response. "Hey, Highwind!" The ex-Turk approached him.

The pilot looked like he was in shock. His mouth hung open and his eyes trained on someone sitting below him.

Carefully, he tapped Cid on the back. "Highwind…wake up!"

"JEEEEESUSSSSSS! Vince, don't do that! You tryin' to scare the shit out of me or what?!"

"I'm sorry. You didn't acknowledge my voice. I thought something might have happened to you."

"Nah. Nothing happened to me…but something sure got him…" Cid Highwind knew that he was blocking his friend's view of his grim discovery so he slowly stepped to the right.

The corpse of one of Reeve's officers lie out before both men. The vacant eyes stared upwards at one of the malfunctioning light fixtures. His mouth hung open. Like every other feature on the man's face, it too was covered in coagulated blood. The man's legs were open into a slight "V" formation while his arms, bent at the elbows, were at his sides. The only thing that seemed to be propping him up was the wall behind him.

"How do you think he died, Vince?" Cid looked at the corpse from head to foot.

"Look at his neck." The ex-Turk pointed out.

Cid gazed at Vincent with a questioning glance before finally following his directions. A shiver traveled down his spine as the cause of the man's death fully registered. "EAWWWWW!"

The scarlet clad man grabbed the pilot by the shoulder. "I think we've seen enough in this room. Now onto the next."

As the two men entered the remnants of the radio room, Cid began to throw a fit. Extinguisher foam was dripping out of every conceivable location. Chairs had been misplaced and broken. A pink, white and black object stood in the center of the room. "Poor Cait…he wasn't that bad a guy…" Highwind remarked.

Small flumes of smoke were emitted from the shoulder joints of the pair of androids.

"I can't believe one man could hurt my baby so bad! She didn't do anything to anyone!" a tear worked its way down his cheek. "Look away, Vince. I don't want you to see a grown man cry."

Vincent broke from his inspection of the charred Cait Sith remains and rolled his eyes. "Puh-lees! It's not something new…I've done it myself." he took the sobbing man's hand in his claw and began to pull him toward the ship's exit. "C'mon, old man, let's get a drink at the pub."

"I don't wanna…" Cid said in a small voice.

"Than let's find somewhere away from here to rest up. We'll get you a room at the new inn. Some sleep might help you forget about this. The ship will be good as new in no time…it's not like it will never fly again."

"Hey, Vince." Cid patted his companion on the shoulder.

"Yes?"

"We're gonna get that fucker good, aren't we?!"

Vincent Valentine had hoped that they would. At that moment, he swallowed his fears and nodded to his emotionally broken friend. "We will, Cid. We will."


	28. The Child And The Cat

A lone woman sat at cluttered desk. Numerous stacks of paper towered above her. The spinning ceiling fan threatened to topple each stack over and over again with each soft breeze. Why had her life changed so dramatically? How did she end up doing this type of work? Each question reminded her of the life she was to leave behind. She was part of one organization for close to a year the next thing she knew she was fleeing in terror with her coworkers. She wished she could say that everything was a blank after that. The mere fact of the matter was that the past and all its complications served as a constant antagonizing reminder to her each time she looked around her cubbyhole office space.

She took a sip of lukewarm coffee and set the stained mug back on the documents with the red "IMPORTANT" stamps on them. This had been her sixth cup on this particular afternoon. The papers had been in that same place long enough for the stain to take on a reddish tint. She could not bring herself to care about the well-being of the silly aged papers.

Her towering paper heaps began to sway dangerously. With obvious disinterest, she kicked her combat boots onto the table and folded her hands in her lap. The new recruits got to fly helicopters. She could hear them passing her window, shaking the glass and making her office even darker. "I don't care anymore," she said to herself over and over again. She pulled out an old faded photograph and clutched it in her gloved hands. "I doubt you'd like what's happened. It's pretty boring out here."

The person in the picture was unrecognizable to anyone who saw it due to the different climates she carried it through. Only she knew who it was. When it was first taken, well over three years ago, there were four people featured. Each person handed a copy. When she had received hers, she made sure to cut it into sections and keep the part that contained the one person she cared for. She smiled when she thought of him. She always did. His long black hair and epithelial folds above his eyes made him seem almost magnetic…not too mention the fact that he looked good in the suit and tie of his trade. Why did he have to die?

She smacked herself on the forehead. "Damn, girl, snap out of it!" Maybe she did have the mentality of a child after all. Only a child would carry on puppy love crushes and keep a heated heart for someone that had been dead for close to four years.

She tugged at the pointy edges of her blue jumpsuit's collar and gazed at the walls of her enclosure. So many different types of calendars hung on each wall. After the end of her first year, she had lost any excitement towards her job. She decided to let them all hang in the hopes they would fall down on their own. Yeah, that was somewhat childish in a lazy kind of way. Maybe they were right. She cracked a weak smile. "You even called me that." she rubbed the blurred image where the person's head had been.

The black ghostlike shadows of the helicopters outside her window looked like they were being cut apart by the blade-like shadows of her mini-blinds. Gently she tugged at the bill of her hat and frowned at her black shooting gloves. "They never even let me fire a stupid gun," she said bitterly.

At her old job was a mix. She was supposed to be a sharpshooter, a paper jockey, and a knee breaker. She was supposed to be a step above the male knee breaker. He did not like her and neither did his smart mouthed partner. Maybe everything was for the best.

"Dammit are you reminiscing again?! Do you hear the damn bell?! I tell ya, I sure do!"

The blonde haired woman jolted upright. Her boss leaned over the desk and was in her face. "What the hell do you think you're doing, waiting for Sephiroth to rise again?!"

"Uh…no, sir. I'm just…I'm just…"

"Never mind!" The man blared. "I don't have time for your excuses. The tone for that new unit has been sounding for forty minutes now. You were supposed to have checked out THAT NEW UNIT," he looked at his watch, "thirty-nine minutes ago!"

The young woman lowered the bill of her hat further down over her eyes and nodded. "Yeah…okay." With those words, she stood up and followed him out of the tiny office.

The hallways of the old Shinra Junon headquarters had changed very little. The face of the building had been renovated and a new cannon was in the works. The room that had once served as the execution chamber took on its new role of serving as her office. "I liked it better as a gas chamber." she coughed into her hands.

"Yo." said one of the wandering officers. "I like your hair cut. Blunt cuts go good with your complexion."

The woman stared after her commanding officer and ignored the passerby. Would he have thought the same? Best just to let the memories go, she would tell herself repeatedly.

As they traveled down through hallways and winding staircases, she began to wonder what had caused the demise of the last Cait Sith unit.

"Sir?" she asked.

"What do want, Private?" the man snapped at her.

"I have a question, sir."

"Go on."

"Did the monitor guys get a record of what happened? That particular unit had served for four whole years. Did it just spontaneously combust?"

They stopped in front of a heavy metal and Plexiglas door. The man removed a little remote device from his pocket and clicked a red button. The massive door slid out of the way and allowed them instant entry. He looked at her for a couple seconds. "Private, as soon as you go up in rank, you'll be able to ask any type of question you want. For now, you're just a lowly delivery boy."

After a quick salute, her commander stormed off down the hall. The woman tied her shoulder length blonde hair around itself and took a deep breath. "I wonder if it's too late to quit the army, now."

The warehouse in front of her was quite a sight. Every wall had mechanical heads and bodies attached to it. Large lights resembling upside down ice cream cones hung from the ceiling. Four circular wall fans, each standing eight feet in height, regulated the room temperature. The metal gratings that kept other workers and lightweight parts from getting sucked inside were dark and dusty. They reminded anyone that gained entry, that it was a storage room and nothing more.

The original Cait Sith warehouse was located in a sub-basement of Shinra Headquarters Midgar. Once Meteor threatened the building, everyone ran. The androids were demolished but the plans for rebuilding them survived in the new president's head. He was instrumental in pushing for the Cait Sith legacy to continue. The unfortunate part was that no one knew exactly why. Why set up a factory and storage area equipped to assemble and house hundreds of units and parts if only one of them was going to be used to wander the world until it suffered a meltdown or ended up destroyed?

"I can't understand why they make the damn things in the first place," she cursed to herself.

A loud klaxon sounded accompanied by a metallic knocking filled her ears. The latest Cait Sith unit had been "born"

"Goddamn it, I'm coming!" the rubber soles of her combat boots thudded against the reinforced concrete floor. She could see a tall figure, holding what looked to be a large dinner bell, trying to break through one of the walls.

"Stop that! STOP THAT!"

The figure did as it was told and raised and lowered its feet similar to the keys of an antique typewriter. "I thought I was going to have to bust outta dis joint. See?" It quipped.

"…Funny…a Cait Sith unit with a sense of humor…"

"I've got a laugh track a mile wide." The tiny cat purred.

"I'm sure you do."

"Do you want me to tell you your fortune, Miss Elena?"

The former newest member of the Turks bit her lip and removed her hat. "Not really."

"Oh…poo. You're a party pooper." The large Mog beneath the black and white cat began to swing its arms and legs back and forth. It glided to and fro gracefully despite its girth. Once it had completed its strange motions it came to a grinding stop. A tiny piece of paper popped out of the stomach of the large mog.

The cat stooped down and took hold of the leaflet. "Hmmm…izzat so?"

"Oh, what?!" Elena had to get moving before the President decided to radio in and have her demoted.

"Sez here that your favorite color is pink polka…dot…" the little black and white creature smacked the sunken head of the mog. "That is not a fortune! Why do you keep doing that?!"

The blonde haired woman forced a smile. She knew the Cait Sith units were good for nothing…just like her former coworkers, how she missed them so. "Do you mind? I need to find out where the last unit malfunctioned and retrieve it, while I drop you off! Can we PUH-LEEZE get going?!"

The mog repeated its last actions and another slip of paper popped out. Like before, the cat picked it up. "It better be good this time." It rapped its carrier's head with its megaphone one more time for good measure.

The cat instantly pushed the paper to its face. "Well, I'll be!"

"What was it?! Show me!" Elena demanded.

"Hold your chocobos."

Elena grabbed it from the cat. "You will be reunited with your most favorite people in the world?! What is this, cat?!"

The large mog shrugged at her, while the little cat answered. "How'm I supposed to know? He was supposed to be programmed to only answer questions with a yes or no, y'know."

Private Elena raised her fists above her head and shook them vigorously. "Look, can we just go on and get aboard the friggin Gelnika outside, before I get fired?!"

The Cait Sith unit cocked its heads to the side and folded their arms defiantly. "Why should I…especially if it's your head on the line and not mine?"

The former Turk looked around and found an object that might help her get her point across. She reached down and hefted a steel pipe that had been leaning against a stack of black parts crates. "Because if you don't I know an effective way to shut you and every other unit down." she tapped the palm of her right hand with the backside of the pipe.

"Okay, okay! I got yer point. I'm coming."

The mechanical mog turned on its heels with Elena close behind. It regarded the large doorway with a childish curiosity. "You mean to tell me that I didn't have to ram myself into the wall like an idiot…I could've just hopped over to this door and gotten out like anyone else."

"Will you shut up and keep moving?"

The newly "born" construct fell silent, much to Elena's delight. "Where are we supposed to be again?" she asked.

"Nah-uh. You told me to shut up, sister." it protested.

After a couple taps with the lead pipe, the android was ready to talk. "Well, the last unit was fricasseed in Wutai."

"Wutai…what's out there?"

"Well, there's trees out there and lots of dirt and stuff."

"I know that!"

"Well, the thing that fricasseed the last unit is out there. I bet you know that the Highwind is there, too."

Elena knew about the Cait Sith unit assigned to follow the Highwind. It was supposed to handle any problems that occurred with the ship's mainframe and navigational controls. In addition to that, it was supposed to act as a goodwill ambassador.

After traveling down more flights of stairs and long echoing hallways, the unlikely team arrived on the landing strip where a Gelnika powered up and ready to take them to their destination. Even though these hybrid planes were heavy, used for a good many years, they were still reliable. Each plane was capable of carrying ground transports as well as the military units that required them.

The gray blue and black camouflage print had been repainted time and time again. The fact that the Gelnikas were Shinra warplanes first did little to subtract from their dependability. Propeller driven airships were the wave of the future for air travel.

Elena turned to the cat and mog team as it bounded up the gangway. "You wouldn't happen to know what fried the last unit would you? I'd like to know so I can send a radio signal back to base, once we arrive, and tell them. Y'know…so no more malfunctions will happen and everybody will be happy."

The mog continued its walk into the belly of the plane but the cat decided to humor the blonde haired woman. "Lissen real good, chicky, it wasn't a malfunction. The last unit was wiped out by act of clone." The little android bounced around and sat down on its large carrier.

The former Turk paused for a second. "Great…another clone."


	29. The Child Remembers

The large troupe carrier was empty, save for Elena, the mechanical mog and cat, and the pilot, co-pilot, and navigation team. The blonde woman sat down on one of the benches and set the palms of her hands on her knees.

The roaring of the huge black propellers signaled the craft's eagerness to depart.

"We are go for Wutai drop off." The pilot's voice crackled over the ship's intercom.

Elena swapped out her blue hat for a set of tiny earphones. She attached a tiny microphone to her shirt collar and gave thumbs up to a two-way wall monitor.

"Green light has been given, children we are on our way." The copilot confirmed.

The warplane lurched as it began to taxi down the huge airstrip.

The ex-Turk remembered a quote from one of her numerous self-help books. "Calm blue oceans." she said aloud as the plane began to gain speed. The blue green ocean was easily visible from the porthole on the other side of her.

The tiny black and white cat had a jeweled crown pulled down over its ears. It gave the appearance that it was trembling. The mog seemed to echo the frightened cat's actions. Its purple bat wings flapped to and fro while its giant paws covered its eyes.

The Gelnika was airborne. The island was now only an hour away.

"Cait Sith, come here." Elena snapped her fingers.

The android set perked up and bounded its way over to her. "Yeah."

"I tried to contact home base but the idiots haven't reviewed the tape yet."

"So what do you want from me?" The cat shook its head.

"I want to see its face," she said plainly and pulled her hat back onto her head.

"The clone?"

"Yes." Chances were Elena was going to have to drop off the Cait Sith unit, kill the clone and bring its remains back for testing…oh, joy. She was not an average delivery person. On days that were not slow, she was part of a unit assigned to search out clones and destroy them. Until four years ago, cloning was something that Shinra kept to themselves. It was not until Sephiroth rematerialized that the general public was introduced to the likelihood of people copied through DNA instead of through the usual human methods of reproduction.

Reluctantly the cat gave in. A small panel in the mog's chest cavity gave way revealing three plug in jacks.

Elena flipped open a door beneath the wall monitor and removed two small black wires. She plugged both ends into corresponding holes in the mog. "This won't hurt a bit." she smiled. She had always felt like saying that.

After flicking a tiny switch, the small monitor came to life. The picture was fuzzy at first but quickly became clearer. Images of people aboard the Highwind, Cid Highwind himself, and others flashed in front of her. The old Cait Sith's memory was playing on the screen. It was not until she saw the face of Sephiroth in one of the flashbacks that she became concerned. She pushed another button to pause the image. "Is that another Sephiroth clone?"

The little black and white cat scratched his head. "No, that's the real article. According to my data, the clone comes in later."

Elena shook her head. How could Sephiroth have been brought back to life? Had he not been dead for close to eight years?

"Here, let me help." the cat pushed another button. The scenes from his data banks played faster this time. Familiar faces rushed by. She could see the ex-Turk known as Vincent Valentine, the little ninja girl Yuffie, the blonde haired ex-SOLDIER Cloud, and the president himself. One face grabbed at her almost as strongly as Sephiroth's had. She paused the screen again. "What the HELL is she doing there?"

The mog scratched at the cat's head. "That's the president's niece," he said nonchalantly.

The blonde haired woman sat there with her jaw gaping. "She's the President's niece, too?"

Elena had worked with one Lieandra Thompson years ago. She was a Turk when she had met the brown haired Elite for the first time. On several occasions, the two had butted heads. Her co-worker, Reno, had had quite an attraction to her. Tseng was even familiar with the woman. "The bitch." she spat in disdain. The image sped up as she tried to get that particular visage out of her mind.

"We're getting closer." Elena found herself to be so infuriated over the Elite she could not tell whether the voice had come from the pilot or the android. Indifferently, she removed her hat and set it on her lap.

The people were moving so fast. It was hard to tell that all the footage was shot over the span of months and days rather than minutes and seconds.

She laughed when she saw one of the President's temper tantrums. His arms shot out above his head and his fists clenched. It looked like he was yelling at her general, Sasha Tate. Reeve looked like a clown to her, when consumed with rage. His face would turn so red, it was almost as if he was wearing make up. She remembered when he was considered the most peaceful member of the Shinra Empire.

Yet another face sped into her vision. This one left her horrified, when coupled with the reemergence of Sephiroth. The former Turk pushed at the pause, play and stop buttons in rapid succession. "Stop that. Stop that! SLOW IT DOWN, CAT, DAMMIT!"

The cat felt around trying to slow the picture down. "Dammit. Why do humans need six levels of fast forward?! This is closed circuit television…there aren't any commercials."

Finally, the scenes stopped their rapid pace. Elena leaned in closer. "Hmmmm…"

The mog set a paw on its stomach and waved the other around.

"What my colleague is trying to say is, ahem that is the clone."

Elena rewound the first few scenes so she was able to see the beginning of the clone's entrance. It felt strange to witness the events that led up to the death of a creature that could almost pass as being human. It was almost as if it were her own death she was reliving.

A black blur whirled around the shoulder of the giant mog. A barely audible mumble emanated through tiny speakers. She recognized the strange sound as a chant to activate some kind of materia. "Stupid mog!" she shook a fist. "Turn around!"

The image of the prior mog finally completed its attempt at turning. The little cat astride its shoulders was dancing.

"Zoom in! Zoom in!" blue and gray flashes of snow shadowed the face of Cait Sith's attacker. The man on camera was brought closer and closer. His short black hair and angular features suggested that he were cloned from someone of Wutai descent.

"I've seen him before," she stated as the man released an electrical storm.

Elena thought back to the days when the old president had died. Everyone important in Midgar was evacuated when Sephiroth unexpectedly reemerged. She flew in by helicopter with the likes of her teammates, Reeve, and the head of the Shinra Weapons Department, Scarlet. The escape from Midgar had landed them in Junon.

She remembered following her coworkers down a small alleyway and bumping into Reeve's niece and a SOLDIER.

The circumstances of this meeting played through her mind repeatedly.

_"Can I help you people?" she asked the duo. _

_"Who are you?" asked Leira. _

_"I'm Elena, the newest Turk." _

_"Aren't you lovely?" The Elite spat. _

_Elena folded her hands in front of her. _

_"Leira, is that you?" asked Reno. _

_The Resident Elite removed her helmet. _

_"Haven't seen you in years, Wren," said Klefmon spitefully. _

_"Timal, my man!" said Reno as he held his hand out to the SOLDIER. _

_"I wouldn't do that." Leira mumbled as the tall man from Wutai slammed a hard fist into the side of Reno's face. _

_Rude stepped in between the two men before a brawl could happen. _

_"What was that for?!" Elena spat. _

_"It's because she and the SOLDIER have become friends," said a familiar voice. _

_Klefmon and Thompson looked up. Coming out of an alleyway was Tseng. The head of the Turks went right up the two Residents. "Timal Klefmon and I are from Wutai." _

"So that's the clone," she said grimly, looking at Cait Sith. "Looks like Hojo was fine with cloning just about anyone."


	30. Butting Heads: A Test Of Egos

The boyish looking ninja sat across from the sleeping Shinra general. She watched his chest move up and down as he breathed.

Leira had continued her bathing in the next room. Of course, new water had to be run because the old water was dirty and cold. The night sky had moved in and no one was the wiser.

Reno found himself drawn to the view of the setting sun of Wutai through his window. The orange and purples of the sky soothed him. He heard Yuffie start to giggle. "What's with you…or do I want to know?"

"Aww, ain't he ca-yute?! He looks so innocent when he's asleep like that!"

Reno coughed smugly. "Yeah, whatever…" He went back to looking out the window.

"Big dummy." she hissed under her breath.

Sephiroth's hand slid over the side of the chair and hung inches from the ground.

"He's been asleep for a while, now," his silent observer thought to herself. "I thought only cats slept this long."

"Hey, Yuffie…" Reno tried to find a way to break the silence.

"Wha?"

"So, you and Lei are good friends, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess. Kind of?"

The man turned to her with his hands behind his back. "Did she ever say anything about me?"

"Not that I can think of…"

"C'mon, Yuff…" he suddenly found that his tone had turned into a form of pleading.

"…Well, she has a picture of you on her dashboard. She's got an AWESOME car!"

"She does?! The picture, I mean." Reno almost felt like he had won a small victory.

"Can't imagine why she would want to foul it up with yer ugly mug, though." Yuffie added

The redhead frowned at her.

"It's a Hightime! She's got white walls on the tires and it's such a HAWT red!"

Reno thought he heard the little ninja make some sort of strange sound effect…"Bwee?" he mouthed. He tossed his hand back. Maybe old age was setting in for him as well…and not just Sephiroth. "New fangled contraptions…" he faintly whispered.

Yuffie stretched her arms out and yawned. "So how come you never mentioned anything about her to me?"

Reno shot a frustrated look at her. "You've met Reeve, right?"

"Well, yeah…he's not that bad a guy."

"You never worked in the same building with him." Reno folded his arms and put his back against the window. "He makes snap decisions sometimes. If he doesn't like you…well, he doesn't like you. Now imagine yourself as a Turk like me."

She pressed her hands to her cheeks and turned red. "LIKE YOU?! I'D HAVE TO SHOOT MYSELF!" Yuffie let out an evil laugh. "…But I know where your coming from…he seemed like such a nice guy at first."

"Pfffh…whatever. I really didn't think I'd see her again. I heard so many things about her. I heard she got banged up pretty bad after Meteor, too. I guess I just decided to let go of her. Besides, she had Sephiroth."

"Why, Reno, don't tell me the 'stud' of the Turks was jealous?"

Reno and Yuffie looked over at Sephiroth.

"IT'S ALIVE!" Yuffie shouted.

"Little girl, your voice is jarring." Sephiroth sat up and leaned forward so his face was close to Yuffie's.

The fading light of the outdoors cast a strange glow against Reno's hair as it hung over his shoulders. There was so much he wanted to say to this man. So many repressed feelings. What the hell are you holding back for?

"Let me guess…since you two have been discussing Reeve…I would imagine, you thought I might come after you and kill you or Leira might snap and kill you. Why waste my time with you?"

Reno stormed over to Sephiroth, which prompted him to get to his feet.

"I guess you didn't notice that everyone she came in contact with is dead…well, save for Reeve. You missed that one."

"The ones that I did kill just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Moth…" why did he still feel inclined to call the creature that had controlled him so long ago mother. "Jenova had me convinced that she was my real mother. I was merely a pawn…wait a minute…did you also forget that the Sephiroth that did the majority of the killing was a clone?"

"Yeah," Yuffie nodded. "But you were controlling him!"

Sephiroth closed his eyes. She was right.

Reno lifted a finger to Sephiroth. "You drove everyone completely insane! I might have still had a job if you had decided to keep quiet and stay dead!"

"Stasis." Sephiroth corrected.

Another knock sounded on the door.

"I'm never going to get a decent rest." the white haired man looked around Reno's home. He decided that, to avoid any further arguments, he would find a room where he was sure he could be by himself; yet not to far from Leira. "I'll just leave you both to your tainted reverie. Good night."

Reno sat in his chair, as the knock continued. "Yuff, can you get that? I need to think of the name of the company that last fumigated this chair."

Yuffie sprang to her feet and did as she bade. "Hel-lo?"

Standing at the entryway was the young monk. He looked exhausted.

"Yuff, who is it?"

"How come, when it comes to me, I get a 'I don't want any'?!" she murmured.

Phiphat stood shocked by her welcome. All he could do was nod and remove his turban.

The little ninja pulled back on the door, to show Reno who the visitor was.

"Hey, you're Benny and Timmy's cousin."

"Benny and Timmy?" the boy whispered to Yuffie.

"Just say yes." she prodded.

"Uhm…yes. I am. Can I come in?"

"Why not? The more the merrier…" Reno replied with a hint of frustration.

The boy sat on the floor in front of Reno. He tucked his legs into his long robes and folded his hands in his lap.

Yuffie sat beside him. "So what brings you here?"

"Actually, I wanted to let you know that the spiritual leaders request your presence." he directed his words to Reno. "Your friend should be there also. They want to talk about getting my uncle and his cousin dug up and beatified."

Reno's head wavered. "Leira will. I just haven't decided yet."

"You…haven't-how could you not?! Were they not also your friends…?"

"Look, kid, I'm not saying they weren't-why am I explaining things to you anyway?" Reno got to his feet and flung open the door. "Yuffie, tell Lei I'm going for a walk. I'm not sure when I'll be back." He slammed the door as he left.

Dazed was hardly a strong enough word to describe Phiphat's current demeanor. "He makes an odd kind of friend doesn't he?"

Yuffie hopped to the window and watched as Reno's form faded into the night air. "GAWD! He's REALLY pissed. Why is everyone so cranky alla-a sudden?"

"My family is never going to regain their honor this way." Phiphat whispered.


	31. Deep Within

Leira stood below the running showerhead as the bathtub emptied. Gently she put her hands behind her back and tugged at the bottom of her hair while watching the cement like dirt swirl down the chrome-covered drain.

_"Why's he looking at me like that?" _

_"What? Like What?" _

Why were her memories becoming so much more intense? The slightest thing was resurrecting ghosts from a past that she could scarcely remember.

_"Like that!"_ Leira looked up and to her left at the yellow shower curtain and wrapped her arms around her breasts. The scene that played in her mind was crystal clear. So clear, it was that she could make out each grain of sand on the beach just outside out of Nibelheim.

_"Him, look!"_ An image appeared to her far right. This ghostly visage quickly sculpted itself into her own naked image. An almost intense look of disgust easily read beneath the thread like bangs that covered her face. Reality did not exist anymore. She began to wonder if it ever really did.

_Her lanky lover sloshed through the waist deep water that hugged the shoreline. His sunglasses hid his eyes but his pace proved that he was concerned and eager. _

She put a finger below her lower lip and watched the curious specter approach.

_"I don't like how he's looking at me."_ Her ghost said privately as Reno set himself between her and the man in question. _"For the past five minutes he's done nothing but stare at me. He hasn't moved a muscle…just…stood there."_ The unclothed memory nodded as a means to indicate the source of her unrest.

_Reno straightened and extended his arms above his head. With a casual tilt of his head peered over his shoulder to glance behind. _

Another shadow appeared at least ten feet away. This was becoming too much for her. The form was none other than that of one of the men whose honor she would most likely have to defend alone. _He stood with his wet black hair matted to his head. The red was so intense that it mimicked that of his natural hair color. Only when the clouds ceased their blockage of the sun did it actually become obvious to the untrained eye._ The look on Timal Klefmon's face could have rivaled the below freezing temperatures of the Icicle Continents harshest of winters.

"Our ride up Mt. Nibel, you should have heard some of the strange things he was asking me. It was…weird…"

_Reno fully turned and glared at the tall SOLDIER. _

_First Class Klefmon gave a foul smirk and closed his eyes as he diverted his attention to the vastness of the ocean. He splashed his muscular brown arms with water making them glisten in the sunlight. _

_"I've known this guy for awhile now-but if you're worried he might do something-" _

_"Reno, it's not that-it was almost like he knew me!" _

Leira watched herself. He horrified her, back then.

The ghosts slowly faded.

She watched the last of the dirt disappear from the tub's interior. Each glob slowly separated into individual grains.

Leira flattened her hands to the tile of the shower and glanced back over her left side. The scene was still playing out. Maybe she needed some of Ecka's sedatives to make the memories stop manifesting themselves in such a painful form.

The shower curtain began to shift but she paid it no mind. Her muscles were relaxed despite her mind's cruel intervention.

Her toes captured her attention as the water continuously dripped down her face.

Something shot through the shower curtain and gripped her shoulders tightly.

"You've been in here for quite some time. I'm surprised that your skin isn't littered with welts."

Leira jumped but did not shout out. Instead, she watched the fingers kneed at the joints of her upper body.

"Where's Reno? Don't make me sic my boyfriend on you!" She added the last bit with a touch of soured humor.

The body of the man behind her pressed against her strong back. All at once, the hands left her shoulders and found themselves at her abdomen.

"You gave me quite a scare back there. You wouldn't mind telling me what happened…with him, would you? What did you see?"

Her chin lifted slightly, only to fall again. "I saw…my…mother?"

Sephiroth's eyes widened and his muscles became rigid.

"She started to talk to me again…she was different, somehow."

The man behind her sighed. He had stripped off his shirts before entering the shower. Feeling the water beat against his skin added a hint of pleasure to the forlorn conversation. Lazily, he raised his right eyebrow and bit into her neck. "It wasn't your mother…not your real one anyway. Thus is the price for living in blissful ignorance."

Leira began to study the holes in the shower joint.

The wet woman whipped around to face him. She raised her right hand and slapped him across the face. "Just for once, can you pah-lease stop speaking in riddles?!" She was about to reverse the direction of her hand to belt him again but Sephiroth closed his eyes and grabbed it with his right.

"I had a feeling that you saw 'her.'" He looked down at her ankles then quickly looked back into her eyes after his eyelids parted. "I never figured that Reeve's little drug would have blocked out everything so perfectly. You completely resisted the call of Jenova-not even Cloud was able to do that. I had thought that you were on my trail because of that demon…it was…really all by chance…"

Leira tore her hand back and grabbed for the nearest towel. She covered her nakedness in a mad rush and stormed out of the bathroom and into the hallway that stood between the living room and the rest of the house.

Phiphat began to explain to Yuffie about his family until he looked back toward the dark hallway settled behind his companion and noticed a tall feminine form staring back at him. He shook in disbelief and realized that it was Leira.

"So-Pippy, what happened then?" Yuffie looked at him and than glanced behind herself. "Good grief, girl! Get some clothes on! There are men-folk here and I'm not old enough to look at pornography yet!"

Before Leira could raise a hand to flip her off, Sephiroth grabbed her and pulled her into the closest room while offering a quick secretive smile to the little ninja.

The door slammed shut behind them and Phiphat was even more confused about what he had witnessed. "What was that about?"

"No worries-I think they're just going to do some of those nasty 'adult' things is all."

"Where are you going then if that's all that they are going to do?" the monk asked as he watched the girl get up and run for the room that Sephiroth and Leira were now occupying.

"Because, it's her and Sephiroth-that's why! I can't think of anyone that needs to be alone with him!"

Sephiroth threw his green tuxedo shirt to Leira. "Put it on."

"Would it be too much to ask why you did that?"

"I'm not finished with our conversation…and your body…is…distracting." He rolled his eyes at his own words.

Leira pulled on the shirt and sat down on a bed. "You didn't have a problem with it in Midgar," she pouted.

"There weren't children present…anyway, the rate at which your memories returning is drawing attention…unwanted attention. We can't stay here much longer. I have a feeling they already know you're here."

"Who?"

"Listen to me-this continent is going to be a battle ground soon and I can't stop it…you said you were contacted by your mother." He paused and shook his head. "Jenova is the one that you saw. She's found you-just like she's been chasing me."

Leira got into his face. "Then for god's sake-why did you want me to survive?! Why didn't you just let Reeve's little concoction leave me brain dead-or whatever? Now that you know the consequences."

"Because I care about you-just like I did your family! When I learned about you-when I saw you nearly lifeless before me in Nibelheim…I…"

Sephiroth shielded his eyes in his hands. His feelings for his childhood friend were making it harder for him to tell her the truth about the events going on outside.

"Wow! Look at this!"

Her gleeful outburst was almost welcome to the old general and caused him to form a break between his hands.

Leira held a golden picture frame to her chest. If it was in a bedroom, a bedroom in a house owned by Reno…Sephiroth's lips twitched as he thought about the smutty image captured in the photograph. He remembered that Leira and Reno's relationship had been quite a bit more than kissing and hugging. "He saved one of your calendar shots, did he?" He quipped as he sat down beside her.

A back-fist connected with his chin and returned to holding the shiny frame.

Leira remembered the day the photo was taken. It was her first time visiting Costa del Sol. Reno sat on the sand behind her. Those were such wonderful memories. The man that took the picture had been a Shinra informant and a bit of a sleaze. Leira was topless wearing nothing but a green and yellow wrap around her hips. Reno wore shorts that matched her "almost" attire.

"I punched out the photographer." she smiled as she handed the picture to Sephiroth.

"I am surprised…I would have thought that you both would have been wearing a little less."

In some strange way, the words that Sephiroth spoke rekindled some distant feelings for the red haired man that had captured her heart so many years ago. "If we're quite done here…"

She left the picture with him and buttoned the green fabric before heading out of the room.

It was beginning to seem almost hopeless. Trying to educate that woman, especially on matters that would affect them both, was like talking to a wall.

"I just wanted to tell you that 'you rekindled my hope…I realized that I could beat this curse and leave Jenova behind forever. We could both escape her…it would be like it was before all this…the cloning, the death…the…"

Something caught his eye in the photograph. "This can't be right," he mouthed as he held the picture closer to his face. "They were completely obliterated! I saw it with my own eyes! Hojo, you bloody bastard, how could you do something so despicable?!"

"I take it you guys didn't do the dirty dirty did you?"

"What kind of a question is that? We were just having an adult-to-adult conversation. That's all."

Yuffie winked at her friend. "That's good…but you are wearing his clothes-at least his shirt-that is. You-uh-got anything on under that?"

Leira pushed beyond the girl and walked into the living room.

"I thought not." Yuffie seemed to bristle. "Where ya going?"

"I need to find Reno."

"Why?"

The face of Reann Thompson was clear as day. Leira's mother stood behind Reno in the picture. Her shoulder length red hair was so fine and wavy; it was obvious where Leira's hair type had come from. Even the clone contained the woman's pale skin. The proof that Hojo had been cloning SOLDIERs, long before Sephiroth's disappearance in Nibelheim, captured in one simple photograph. The beauty of both women did nothing to hide the ugliness of truth.

Yuffie was about to follow Leira when the sound of glass shattering vied for her attention. The teenager cast open the door to find Sephiroth towering above her. Something crunched underneath his feet as he exited the room. She looked down and took note of the thousands of shards of glass. "Wow, I guess she _really_ didn't give him any!"

"I-I don't know where she went! She just walked out a minute ago!" Phiphat's scared voice rang out into the hall and snapped Yuffie back into the present situation. Leira skipped out leaving her alone with the young monk and Sephiroth.

As soon as she became visible, Phiphat tried his best to smile and wave at her.

Sephiroth lifted him off the ground, his hands tightly clenched around his neck.

Yuffie pushed her bandana further up her brow with her index finger and grinned. "It's ass kicking time!"

She leaped high into the air and managed to grab hold of the young monk's robes as she flew by.

Phiphat was drug backwards and fell against the floor. He was bruised but nothing was better than freedom and the simple pleasures of air running into his lungs. Breathing was a good thing he was thrilled to do more of it.

"Little girl, this is not your fight!" Sephiroth leered and pushed the picture into a pocket. He took up a quick offensive posture and rushed at her.

Yuffie hopped to the right and than the left. Hurriedly she pounded her fists together and ducked beneath him.

A kick loosed by Sephiroth went screaming above her head. Yuffie delivered her joined fists into his midsection causing him to back away. She passed a thumb below her nose and smiled triumphantly before vaulting into the air and delivering a flying roundhouse kick to Sephiroth's face.

Phiphat stood up, torn between running for help or staying behind and aiding his new friend.

Sephiroth grabbed Yuffie's extended foot and dangled her, upside down, above the hard floor. "Remember-back in the crater." his breathing was coming in ragged spurts. Clearly, he had not rested enough. "Remember the pain I made you feel that day-you and the rest of your comrades? I can do it again!" The silver haired man shut his eyes and began to chant a familiar spell.

The little girl was powerless as the sensation of lightning bolts streamed into her foot and spread through her body. An agonized scream shook her along with Sephiroth's attack.

A few elemental spells were contained in Phiphat's small magical inventory. Monsters were easy to use magic against…humans were almost impossible-let alone humans that could wield magic themselves. He tried his best to conjure up a spell that would have some kind of impact.

"EEEEEEEIIIIAAAAAAAAAAEEEEE!" Yuffie shrieked again.

"I had almost forgotten how much fun this spell is to cast." Sephiroth clenched his eyelids tighter together and increased the magnitude of his magic.

Yuffie's body was beginning to tremble even more. He was trying to electrocute her. Think, Yuff, think.

The monk raised his hands above his head and began to chant. His aim was to conjure up a small fire spell to make the insane man drop back and release Yuffie.

The boy's incantation forced Sephiroth to smile. "Oh, come now, child! You expect something that insignificant to help her?" He snapped his fingers and sent Phiphat's spell right back at him.

The monk's robes instantly began to catch fire and his concentration on saving Yuffie was lost.

"This…this-isn't…how you save…a…friend…Sephy…"

"What's this?"

Yuffie tried to speak again. "What…do-you think…wha-will happen-wha-when she gets…bah-back?"

Sephiroth lowered the potency of his spell as he thought about Yuffie's logic.

"She's…AAAH…you're key…is this-is this what you'll do…wha-when you find her?"

He exhaled and dropped her to the ground and crushed out the fire that had consumed the boy's purple robes.

"You're right…I suppose." He turned around and re-entered the bedroom where he had first glimpsed the photograph of Leira, her mother, and Reno. It was time to rest again.

Yuffie squirmed a little and flopped onto her back. No matter how much pain she was in, the fight was far from over.

Phiphat lay a couple feet away from her, clearly unconscious. She felt bad about him trying to save her. She had guessed that he had never fought someone like Sephiroth before. "Take a breather, Pippy, I'll be right back."

She stumbled off to meet up with Sephiroth once more.

The spells and fighting had indeed taken their toll on him. He rested a hand on the bedside to try to keep himself from falling over. Cure spells would be too weak to calm the wear and tear his body was experiencing. "Girl, I don't have time to play with you anymore right now. Maybe tommo…"

It looked like someone had flicked a switch and turned Sephiroth off as he collapsed against the bed and rolled off onto the floor. Yuffie chuckled to herself before she too lapsed into a slumber as well.

Leira wandered into the darkness alone. She wanted to tell Reno everything. Somewhere inside her, she wanted to be a part of him again. The only way she could make anything possible was to tell him about her past relationship with Timal.

Her bare feet caused the small pebbles and dirt to shift while she searched for her former lover. She looked into the blackness and saw a warm orange glow emanating from the local pub. Maybe she would find him there.

Reno stumbled out of the Turtle's Paradise with a girl under each arm and Rude by his side.

"Take it from a married man, Wren." The bald man said warningly. "Women, they don't like it when you cheat on 'em."

"Rudy," Reno reached over one girl and patted the man's cheek. "Women always think you're cheating on 'em."

"I know but it's worse when they have the proof right in front of them." The man pointed at a form slowly creeping out of the darkness.

Reno put a hand over his eyes as he tried to shield them from the power of the floodlights that illuminated the exterior of the pub making it almost daytime. "Who's that?"

Rude collided his fists and walked in front of Reno and his "friends." "Show yourself!" he demanded.

"Ease up, Rude. It's only me." Leira entered the light and began to cross the old wooden bridge that stretched out before bar.

"I…uh…I think I was looking for you earlier…" he let out a series of hiccups. "But then I figured I'd go get a drink…and-uh…well…" he scratched nervously at the back of his bald head.

"Right." Leira smiled and extended a hand to rub the side of Rude's face. "That's sweet of you-what's his excuse."

Reno suddenly found himself included in the conversation. "I just wanted to take these fine ladies out and-"

Leira clenched her fists together in anger. "Reno, you're impossible!"

The scandalously clad girls ducked out from Reno's arms and made a b line straight for Leira.

The Elite cracked her knuckles together, threw a right punch into one woman's stomach and kicked the other in the face with her left leg followed it up with her right.

Reno darted behind her and grabbed her underneath her arms allowing the girls to run off into the darkness.

"You always do this when I want to have a little fun. We're not lovers anymore, Leira. There's been a lot of time that escaped between us. It's not just over-it's _been_ over, girl!"

"You can let me go…now." Reno's words hit her in the pit of her stomach, harder than the impact of the blows she dealt the prostitutes that had escorted Reno, she guessed.

Reno did as she said while Rude approached and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"It's all right. I'm okay." she offered her former coworkers. "I know. I just want to talk to you anyway." She turned to her former lover. "Reno."

Rude watched as his partner sighed and shook his head.

"Fine." Reno replied. "I take it Sephiroth and the kid are still at my place."

Leira nodded.

"I really need a collar for that girl and an invisible fence with high voltage to keep her out. She's becoming more of a pain in the ass."

"Wren, I'm gonna split and head home. Tifa's probably breaking shit." He checked his watch. "Let me rephrase that-she's probably _been_ breaking shit."

Reno and Leira waved as Rude darted off in the direction of his home.

"For a minute," Leira said coolly, "It was almost like old times."

"You mean, Rude rushing off to find a crowbar while you try and kick my teeth in." Reno showed her a small smile and took her by the elbow. He led her down a path near the small river that crisscrossed the town and into the woods.

They walked deeper into the woods until Reno was able to find a rock to sit down on.

"What are you going to crawl back under it or something-you wanted me to watch?"

"Funny, Lei, very funny-keep 'em coming." He sat down and found one of the few things that could calm him in stressful situations. Reno removed a cigarette from his pocket but seemed to have lost his lighter. "That's just great."

Leira whispered a quick fire spell and lit his cigarette for him.

"Thanks, doll. So what you want to tell me."

She sat down on the ground beneath the seated Reno.

"We may not be lovers but you can still sit next to me," he extended a hand but she promptly declined his offer.

"Hojo…"

"He's dead, yeah?"

"He's dead-but his projects are still living. His cloning knowledge is still producing monsters. It's not just about Timal and Navig…and Ecka. If Timal and Ecka are cloned…I couldn't live with myself."

"Hmmm." Reno was actually beginning to show interest in her words.

"Jenova seems to be their target. Sephiroth believes she's back to pulling strings. Ecka and Sephiroth both seemed to confirm this. While I'm sure we'd both like to see Tim again…the clones end up twisted. They resurrected Sephiroth but he says he's powerless to stop them. They've bound him somehow."

Reno took another drag off his cigarette. "So. Sephiroth told you all this, huh?

"Yes."

"Ha. You know as well as I do-he can't be trusted."

"Reno, I believe him. I have to. He saved my life."

"But he doomed everyone else, Leira. If it weren't for him, Meteor and Lifestream…and Holy-we wouldn't have had to worry about them and Timmy and Benny would never be gone. Rude and I wouldn't be out of a job…and Tseng would still be alive, too."

Leira put a hand to her face in embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I guess it's up to me then. I didn't mean to waste your time. I'll let Phiphat know tomorrow. Thanks for hearing me up." In reality, she felt sick to her stomach. Maybe she said something wrong. Reno's words about them not being lovers, though true, must have hit her deeper than she thought. She pushed herself off the ground and wobbled a little as she started to walk away.

"Hey."

She felt a hand on her shoulder and paused.

"I never said I wouldn't help…not that I recall, anyway. I've had a couple brews in between so my memories probably a bit foggy. We'll both talk to the towel head in the morning. I'm sure Yuffie's totally exhausted him with all her chit-chat…either that or Seph's bored the crap out of 'em."

"You sure?" Leira sensed that the liquor Reno had consumed was probably talking for him.

"It's a beautiful moon out tonight." He sat on the ground and tugged at Leira's left wrist. "Share it with me. Just don't go nuts like you did yesterday. Ya got me?"


	32. Arrival

Twenty-Nine C felt something tap him on the back just below his shoulders. He coughed and vomited up some blood before turning to find out who prodded him.

"Mister, mister-you okay?!" a little boy urged.

The clone sat up and rubbed his chin. "Just fine." He said in the country's language.

"Most peeps don't live long after hanging over a rock with their head in the river like that."

The boy was right; he must have passed out from the overexertion back at the Highwind. It was already night time out and he had done nothing to prepare for the arrival of his brothers and sisters. "God-damn!" he bellowed in basic.

"How far do you have to go, sir?" The little boy was clearly concerned for his well-being.

The Timal clone stood up and patted the child on his head. "Not far. Right over there, actually. I'm staying with the kind ladies at the materia shop." From above the boy, the clone took note of the flashy robe the kid adorned and the symbol emblazoned on it.

"You need an escort there? Ya look like you've had a hell of a fight."

"So you're the keeper of speed for this place, huh?" Twenty-Nine C began to walk away.

"Yep. Name's Shake." The boy chimed in.

"Take my advice. Be careful when offering others help." The clone left the youth behind to ponder his words.

"Well, isn't that something. Save 'em and they ditch you. Gratitude, I tell ya." Shake huffed and returned to his walk.

The clone's legs felt heavy from his exit. It wasn't normal for him to travel so much by foot; especially after a good fight."

He felt relieved to see his temporary residence draw near. The women did not bother him so much, even though he would have preferred a room where he could be alone day and night. A remedy to that situation planned in his heartless being.

After leaning on the door to the shop, he banged on the wood in hopes of drawing the attention of the women.

"We're closed." A voice called from the inside.

"It's me." The man choked. "I need help."

Soon, the door opened and Eylie stood before him. She blushed when she noticed his eyes studying her white satin kimono. "Come in! You look awful! What happened?"

She dragged him in and led him to a washroom.

"I was attacked by monsters after the scene in the woods. I barely made it out with my skin. Where's Niera-is she alright?"

"She's fine. She went back to her husband. Actually, since it's so early in the morning-she should be due in a couple hours to help me reopen. Why?"

Twenty-Nine C offered a look of confusion as he tried to construct a plan. "I just wanted to know how long I would have you alone is all. To repay you for your kindness. Such a beautiful young woman." he said huskily as he ran his fingers along her bare collarbones.

The shopkeeper giggled at his smooth touch. She moved to soak a washcloth in which to cleanse the dried blood from his face. "I can't believe that damn little twit, Shake, didn't meet you. I've seen him take walks out there in the dark. Thinks he's so big because he's the god of speed. More like demon-I'd say." The cloth was wrung out and applied to the clone's lower lip.

He laughed at her comments and lifted a thumb to her lips. "Thank you."

"It's nothing. Now, let's get a look at all those scratches." Eylie pushed the bloodied jacket off his shoulders. "I never thought about this before-but you remind me of someone."

"An ex-husband, maybe."

"HA! Don't make me laugh! We were lovers for a long time-to him, he treated it as if it were only a minute. He ran off with some other guy. It was humiliating. You look just like him, though." She paused as she studied the man before her. "He was almost as sweet and kind as you but-I…"

"Yes."

"It was more an act-now that I think about it." She wiped at her eyes. "I'm sorry. It just feels the same with you…I feel like I could tell you anything-just like I could him."

"I should apologize-not you. I'm new here, so, I don't know anyone."

"That's alright. I didn't think about the resemblance, until I noticed your tattoo. He came back here a few years ago. Just said 'hi' to me. He was here with that blasted Reno jerk and a couple other _real_ winners…all of them blasted Shinra. He had a tattoo of that same number."

Interesting. The clone thought to himself. "So, his name was Timal-now."

"Well, yes. That's what the Shinra called him." Eylie slowly began to sink into shock. How could this man know someone so close to her heart?

"What if I told you this skin is his? The blood from these lips-" he opened up a small cut in his lip with a fingernail and touched her cheek with the blood it loosed. "Is his."

"What are you saying?" She backed away and watched the half-naked man stand.

"Your Timal is here. All of him-only, now, he's so much more." The clone's voice darkened.

With each movement the girl made, the stranger stalked her. She backed into a wall and searched for something to defend herself with, not knowing if he would truly attack her.

"What are you?"

"I'm the perfect version of your ex-lover. You won't ever understand." He crouched low and smiled in her face.

Eylie felt him grab her long black hair and yank her to her feet. "Let me go!" She twisted around and kicked him in the stomach.

"Uh-uh-uh." With his free hand, he broke her ankle before she ever got a chance to withdraw her kick. "Now I know my mission here is a success. The spirit of your former love looks down upon me and smiles; just as mother must be."

Like an unfeeling machine, he dropped her hair and watched her try again to defend herself.

Eylie tried to think to herself about how this situation had gone so wrong for her. She found a long needle by the sink and thought about using it for a weapon. It was a struggle to pull herself to feet but she managed succeed and hop along on one foot; all the while trying to block out the pain of her damaged ankle.

Her attacker jumped into the air and slammed her into the wall with a powerful kick. He had no clue about the location of the needle or her intent to fight him.

Eylie fell against the sink and swiped up the tool could very well save her life.

The tiny device was only three inches long but had a sharp point. She didn't use it so much for knitting cloth as she did for keeping her hair in place.

"Here, take this!" she tried to jab at his throat but missed only to be met with a swift defensive punch.

"Why do you try to fight one that loves you so much?" the murderous clone mocked.

"You're not him!" she shrieked.

Twenty-Nine C pushed her harder into the wall with his own body. For an instant, the terrified woman thought that he would rape her.

"Are you scared, Eylie?" His cold blue eyes gazed out through emotionless sockets. "Fear has always been an amazing reaction. You don't know what I'm going to do-so you're scared." He pushed her just to see her body bounce off the wall.

"You're a sick-o," she sobbed as she remembered the needle in her grasp. "Just kill me or do whatever! Leave me alone."

This was music to the clone's ears. "Niera will look for you tomorrow. She won't find you-but she will in death." He brought two fingers up to his face and let out a cold bloody grin. "Your shop will be closed and will help house me and my brethren. We're going to take back the little girl and the woman."

"What woman-the one in the forest?! What-" Eylie's last thought was disallowed. The self-proclaimed champion of Jenova sent his fingers right through the girl's skull; killing her in an instant.

The body twitched gurgled as he removed his hand and let it slump to the floor. "Thank you. I will make sure your friend has a swift death as well."

Twenty-Nine C ran some water from the sink and began to clean himself off. He let the rest of his torn wardrobe fall. If his "family" was going to arrive, he would need to outfit them as well inform. The cloaks that his masters provided would certainly be nothing short of a dead giveaway, especially if Sephiroth were to stumble onto them.

"Nothing better than Wutai in the evening, sir." The pilot told a sleeping Elena.

Her robotic companion nudged her.

"We're right over the island, now. I can see the running lights of the Highwind right below us." The pilot continued oblivious to the fact that his query had been napping.

"That's great." she yawned. "So we'll be landing, then."

"Well-yeah. Something like that."

Elena stretched out her arms. "Guess this means we'll be strapping on parachutes."

"Yep." replied the navigator. "You ready for your drop?"

"Guess so."

The mechanical Cait Sith twitched his ears. He could not have been hearing the conversation correctly. "You mean there's no return trip?" He pulled his crown down over his black and white face.

"Nope, sorry. What are you worried about? If you crash-the company'll just re-download your programming. All you'll remember is a nasty leafy crash." Elena snapped.

"Yo, Elena. You got to look out for that clone. That's what Tate's expecting! Good luck and happy landings."

Elena flipped off the pilot and navigator, knowing full well that neither of them would be able to see her due to the steel wall placed between them. She strapped on her parachute and did not even bother to make sure her special delivery had done the same.

A long portion of the war bird's hull collapsed on itself, revealing the cool nighttime Wutai air.

"I can see the airship, now. I'm ready to jump." Elena informed the crew as she took one last look at the Gelnika's sterile interior. "You coming, cat?"

Without waiting for a response she dove from the craft and felt the hard winds of gravity pull her closer to the land below.

Minutes had passed since the jump was supposed to have happened and something seemed amiss. "Say, is that frigging contraption still here?" The captain asked.

"The door's still open-I think the weight sensors would have tripped if the projected weight had gone back to zero." The navigator answered as his eyes swooped over the instrument panel before him.

"Damn it, cat-get going!" shouted the pilot.

The frightened mechanical mog and cat team fidgeted from the shock of the nothingness around the large gray and black propeller driven craft. "We didn't even get an in-flight meal," he whimpered as he tried to make light of the situation.

"I'll get him," said the navigator as he got up from his post and entered the plane's hold.

The cat whirled around as he began to understand what the man was going to do to him. "You don't need to push me…really…" The mog began to back away, without the cat atop its shoulders awareness.

The pissed off navigator continued to approach, not for once believing the cat.

Suddenly the mog ran out of ground. The two constructs toppled backwards out of the craft and began their long fall to the ground.

"That was easy." The navigator clapped his hands together and pushed the button for the doors to return to their closed position.

"Want me to send word to the general?" he asked his partner.

"Got it taken care of."

The silk of Elena's chute opened and began to pull her upwards briefly. She watched the amber, blue and white lights of the Gelnika flicker off into the night. Her eyes did their best to focus in the darkness. It had been years since she had seen Wutai. After being abducted on that island, she lost any desire to visit that place again. If her former coworkers had not saved her she would have ended up as one of two-

"Squashed tomatoes!" She bellowed as an updraft snagged her chute and carried her off course. "SHIT!"

From somewhere in the night air another voice caught up in almost the same type of agony.

"Shit, yo! If we don't end up dead-I'm goin' solo!" Cait Sith beat his companion with the megaphone held tightly in one paw and hung onto his perch with another. Together, they both toppled end over end.

They were falling straight for Elena. It would be mere seconds before the three collided. She tugged at the cords that controlled the direction of her parachute in the false hope that the wind was not as strong as she thought.

"Can't you fall somewhere else?" she shook a fist and quickly covered her eyes as the mog and cat drew closer.

The impact was definitely going to hurt.

Sure enough, as the mechanical duo flew by, they tangled in Elena's lifeline and dragged her along with them in a downward spiral.

This is how she was going to die. Squashed in the prime of her life. Single and unimportant. "Tseng, I'm coming." She was ready to let the world go.

"Oh, that's comforting!" The cat coughed in anguish. "Don't look now-HERE COMES THE GROUND!"

Elena shut her eyes and crossed her fingers. She could tell that the end of her life would be painful.

CRASH

The three slammed through the woods just beyond the Highwind. The woman could feel tree braches slam across her chest and tear into her face. She felt a touch of giddiness when she realized her hat was still clinging to her head.

"This isn't a time to laugh! Whoa!" The cat tore away from his fellow machination and flattened against the trunk of a sturdy tree.

The mog impacted against the ground and bounced along like a beach ball, while Elena hit hard against the dirt.

Three new figures traveled through the woods, close to the crash site.

"Is this where they were supposed to have landed?"

"Yeah, the nav guy said the construct didn't have a chute."

"So?"

"Come on, guys, shut up! They should be around here somewhere…or at least their bodies."

Reeve had sent the three to intercept the woman and his Cait Sith model after the Gelnika crew had reported them being on their way.

"I can't believe they sent Elena of all people!" one of the team members shuddered.

The nearby brush shuddered and drew the attention of the small troupe.

"Hey, what's that?"

Elena pushed through, just as Reeve's men grabbed their weapons.

"Special delivery." the blonde girl quipped before blacking out.

"You think she's alive?"

One of the men scanned the area with his flashlight. "I see the Cait Sith unit, too. The cat's in that tree and the mog is down that way," he pointed out with a gloved hand and the beam from the light.

"Well, I guess we should drag them all back to the base, huh?"

"I still can't believe they sent Elena."


	33. Sunlit Garden

Darkness. No life no light. Somehow, something bristly tickled her skin. In a world of no…

She opened her eyes and quickly covered them with her hands. For some reason she was laying on her back with her face directly to the sun. First, she finds herself in a crisis then she ends up in a place Shinra couldn't possibly match with any silly retirement package.

Groaning loudly she worked her way to her feet. Her favorite pair of black boots was on her feet and she could not have been happier. Her left arm warmer was slightly lower then the right so she decided to sit in a crouch and pull it up with her teeth. The daylight was beautiful and the field she awoke in littered with green grass and a multitude of red, yellow, and white flowers. How she wished she paid attention to her grandmother. So many types of flowers each more beautiful then the other, her grandmother used to be a lead botanist for Shinra.

With the arm warmer problem corrected, she straightened and tugged at the legs of her black spandex shorts. Today was a special day!

__

He promised he'd meet me here!

"I'm here! I'm here waiting for you, you BITCH!!" She yelled at the top her lungs and placed her left pointer finger to her lips.

The sky was a brilliant blue and the breeze was pleasantly warm. Slowly, she trudged through the grass and flowers, lazily placing one foot in front of the other. Her arms placed as far out her sides, one might easily confuse her for an extinct bird referred to as an albatross.

Her lips parted in a toothy smile. _So pleasant_, she thought, until a gale force wind hit her full blast knocking her to the ground. "Oof." Undaunted, she pushed herself to her feet and glanced around. "I hope no one saw that." After scanning the area, she deduced the area around her was clear of other humans.

She cleared her throat, "Moving on…" Her surroundings never changed the farther she walked, until a nauseating squish greeted her ears. "Eeew!" she grunted and looked down at her favorite pair of boots.

"Woof woof!" an excited bark caught her attention and looked out over the horizon to find the source.

Slowly, she shielded her eyes from the rays of the sun and scanned the area some more. Something tall and dark caught her attention so she tried her best to focus on it. The grass rustled loudly as the tall dark figure closed in on her. Elena found herself unsure of whether to stand still or run away. Her beloved promised her. He promised to meet her at that…

"Uh-oh." The former Turk suddenly realized she walked quite a distance from their point of rendezvous. By the time, she concluded one flowery spot was as good as another, a large furry object slammed into her knocking her back against the earth.

A couple barks and a long wet tongue to the face helped ease the humiliation until she caught a whiff of the waste that almost certainly ruined her favorite shoes.

"Hi, there, big boy…" A huge hairy brown and silver dog stood over her and breathed its foul breath into her nostrils. "…is this yours?" She grunted.

The large animal sat back on its haunches and scratched itself behind a pointy ear. Finally, Elena stood up and began to dust off her powder blue knit top. _This doesn't happen to the heroine in the Final Fantasy romance novels!_

"YEEEARGH!!" She growled and threw her arms out to the sides scaring the dog enough to make it run away.

"Now that that's over with…" she sent glances over her shoulders and scratched her forehead, "…where is he?"

Somehow, Sasha Tate found himself standing face to face with Cloud Strife, the man he assisted in arresting for murder. Even before they formally met, there was no love loss. Cloud knew Reeve's special military would be no different from any other Shinra officer and Tate lost one of his best men, in all likelihood, to the blonde haired boy before him.

"So Reeve didn't want to apologize himself?" Cloud prodded from his hard splintery chair.

"Why should he?" General Tate placed a hand gingerly on the sun faded whicker table separating him from the young man. "You haven't been exactly proven innocent, yet." In essence, he knew his employer was wrong but he still had to stand tall and dignified as if he were in the right.

"Sephiroth mentioned something about a 'key player' so you must know who the murderer is by now. You've got to let me out of here!"

"I wish I could. It's not that easy." Tate reflected on the events of the last couple days, his ass handed to him by a clone and word of Elena landing with the new Cait Sith unit.

"If you aren't going to let me out why are you here?" The blonde boy did his best to relax but the fact remained if his hand were not handcuffed to the seat he would have been out gathering up his friends and Reeve's general would be dead.

"Listen, kid," Tate walked around the table and stood behind Cloud, "If Reeve decides you can help rid us of the clone it still won't help you. You, the chick, the clone and Sephiroth aren't exactly a green light. I know you want out of here as much as I want off this continent. That can be arranged and both of us can be happy." He gave a wry smile and put his hands on his hips. "What happens from here?"

"What?"

"Ahhh," the man sighed, "I want to know what happens next with this fucker. What are we looking at?"

The blonde tilted his back to rest on the top edge of his seat back. He smiled looking up the other's nose. "You know you really need to get those trimmed." He giggled.

Tate slapped the boy knocking his head from its roost. He hated interrogations. He hated them, he hated people, and he hated the entire situation. How he just wanted to go home to Junon. "If you aren't going to tell me anything I need to know then you're wasting my time."

Cloud leaned forward in his chair. His head throbbed and he was nearly as aggravated as Reeve's crony. He placed his bare feet against a shoulder length apart and forced himself backwards into the man's gut, pinning him to the wall. "Let me out of here! You don't know what's going on but I sure as hell do!" Cloud did not know everything but he did know about the likeliness of more clones appearing. "I have to get out of here and help my friends!" He ground his seat into Tate's stomach doing his best to smother him as well as break the chair. He was going to get out of there one way or another.

General Sasha Tate grunted and writhed attempting to wriggle his way out. His lower body was in the process of being crushed and he could feel himself want to vomit. Swallowing hard, he managed to free his right arm. He tried to grab the youth by his matted yellow hair but Cloud was leaning too far forward. "This isn't going…isn't going to help you…any!" This was not how this was assignment was supposed to go. Call for help or fight, there was only one logical choice. "GUARDS hack GUARDS!!" Tate screamed in the Wutaian tongue until three men forced their way into the cell.

Cloud winced. He wanted to take out one man not four.

The guards rushed to aid Reeve's general, one ran straight ahead while the others ran to the left and right. Tate's thrashing grew weaker and the others were only a couple feet from becoming a problem. _Forward or back? _Cloud's mind was racing. He kicked his legs up attempting to catch the table with his feet. After two unsuccessful attempts, he devised a new strategy. He stood up, catching the table in his mid section and running straight for the center guard knocking him down.

Tate collapsed and held his burning mid section. He was coughing hard while saliva leaked from his mouth. He was exhausted and could do no more then watch Cloud fight.

The attacker on the left tried to sneak in from behind but the ex-SOLDIER spotted him and turned fast striking him with the left chair legs, splintering them on impact.

The man on the right grabbed Cloud while the man on the floor tried to get to his feet. The boy kicked him in the head and tried to rush the other man on the right. "Leave me alone! You've got the wrong guy!"

Deep in his heart, General Sasha Tate believed the boy. He had no choice but to believe. After the appearance of the clone, he found it hard to accept facts. His army failed to eliminate the clones and Reeve, his boyhood friend was wrong. With his body and ego equally bruised, he was forced to change the situation somehow; somehow make it better.

He squirmed over to Cloud just as the right and left guards made another attempt to subdue the prisoner.

Tate delicately worked himself over to the brawl. He rose and steadied himself for his attack. _One quick blow to the back of the head and this fight will be over. _He assured himself.

"OOOooow!!" Cloud whipped around fast as he avoided a strike from the right man and accidentally caught Reeve's man with the remaining two chair legs. Sasha was so upset he lunged at the boy's back and splintered the remnants of the chair.

Seat and all exploded into a cloud of sawdust leaving his shackles haplessly dangling by his wrists. Cloud was sure the other freed him unintentionally but expressed his gratitude anyway. "Thanks man!" He taunted while giving a thumbs up.

The guards were not at all happy their fight was about to get a lot more difficult. Left went high while right went low. Cloud leaned back and dodged a punch from one man while swinging his right hand around to strike the other in the gut with a chain. He wheeled around and kicked the first man in the breastbone with a devastating axe kick. His attention was completely on Tate at the moment the other two guards joined their companion on the floor. "Want to be a hero, too?!"

Sasha felt along his arms and throat. Splinters from the chair had lodged themselves in his skin and yet nothing pierced the skin of the blonde boy. "What are you?!"

"I'm Cloud ex-Shinra soldier."

Tate sighed and slumped to the floor he could not possibly defend himself in his current condition. He spat on the ground and looked up into those cold blue Mako eyes.

"Don't follow me. Just go and stand by Reeve. You're fight isn't with me as long as you accept the fact that the clone killed your man." With those parting words, Cloud opened the door of his cell, leaving Sasha Tate to contemplate the best way to redeem his dignity in front of Reeve.

As if on queue, a dark shape materialized on the horizon. Elena did not know what to make of it so her approach was slow and deliberate. With a twitch of her right toe, a strange music filled the air. "What? What is this?!"

A huge Kalm Wolf appeared and raised its hackles at her. She put up her arms in defense and stared over her hands to see if she could spot the strange dark figure. Despite the sudden random appearance, the shadow like being stood unflinching.

The Turk in blue decided to rush the monster but found herself standing still. Clumsily she reached over and found the launch string to her wrist-mounted slingshot. "Hah, ha, I got you now!" She scoffed and pulled back on the wire to launch her projectile. With an over exaggerated "POING" what could only be referred to as a mini toilet bowl plunger sailed through the air and hit the wolf smack dab between the eyes.

"Hrrrrn?" The monster was clearly confused as it tried to ponder the object somehow glued to its fur.

Elena giggled and held out two fingers, the extended back of her knit top flapping wildly, in a "V" formation. "Had enough or are you thirsty for more."

The monster raised its brow at her and growled. Now was the time for it to fight. It lunged at her snarling and drooling. The poor girl was caught in a powerful body blow and had no place to go but down…again. The mighty beast barked and snapped at her before it finally jumped up and returned to its section of the field.

She lay motionless, wondering why the red suction cup of her "dart" had little to know effect. Before she could stand, a loud howl echoed through the area and another dark figure, this one extremely furry, sailed through the air and took a place directly in front of her.

"It's you!" Elena squealed joyously.

Sure enough the brown and silver dog from before did indeed return. It glanced back at her to pant loosing drop after drop of clear slobber.

The Kalm Wolf was unsure of what to make of this other furry creature. Slowly it sauntered over the Elena's protect and sniffed its hindquarters. Both wolf and dog sniffed at each other for a couple moments and ran away together.

"Great that was a whole heap of nothing…" Elena grunted, "…but I see you're still here."

The dark shadow on the horizon began to take on a humanoid form. It nodded in response to her words and steadily made its way over. The closer it got the more familiar it became to her. Slowly, step after step, it resembled a man. A man with dark hair, and matching leather coat and pants.

This person was so close, yet still so far, she could smell the tanned hide of his ensemble. She was beside herself in emotion. "I…I thought you were dead…" She murmured, feeling tears well up in her eyes.

"God in heaven, this chick is heavy," one of Elena's rescuers complained, "I would've loved to live the coffee and doughnut life."

"Yeah," another agreed.

"I still can't believe they sent Elena. I guess the chief aid wanted to retire early. Tate's gonna freak when he finds out what happened to the new unit."

"Near as I can tell he just knows she showed up. I heard he had some 'splaining to do."

"Yo, Tread," the head of the search and rescue team sighed and tilted his head back. "Y'know, Todasai, I don't care how much you hate that Elena was sent. We gotta face reality." Tread did not care for Elena either but unlike the others believed in the past staying in the past. Briggs and Todasai were two men who loved to complain.

Briggs straightened his helmet, "So what do we do about the kitty cat tribe?"

Tread rubbed the bottom of his nose and glared at the unconscious Elena Todasai's arms. He shrugged of his backpack and set it on the ground. After a several seconds of rifling, he extracted a large sleeping bag.

"I don't want to sound rude-but I got a chick back home and she sure as hell wouldn't approve of me banging a comatose chick."

"No, you idiot! We're going to wrap her up and drag her so you won't have to worry about her squirming." He studied the dark forest path ahead and unzipped the sleeping bag. "As for the Cait Sith unit we'll flip its breakers and make it follow us."

Elena's body was zipped insecurely while the three went to reactivate the latest Cait Sith incarnation.

Her heart beat faster and faster she scarcely noticed the warm breeze pick up. She raised her hand and placed it behind her head. _If this is a dream, I don't ever want to wake up!_ Finally, she could not take it anymore. All the years of separation were nothing but hell to her. She would be denied no more. She made a mad dash for the man, determined to close the gap once and for all. The closer she got the more she smiled. Her off-white teeth gleamed in the sun until the wind turned against her and blue a few red and white petals into them. Her sprint did not cease she simply raised her left pinky to her mouth and scraped them away.

The wind blew stronger and her run slowed. "I'm coming for yooo-OH!!"

An old discarded copy of the Shinra newspaper "Mako Good Times Dispatch" slapped her in the face obscuring her vision. With a rapid impatient tug, she pulled the heavy newspaper off her and tossed it to the ground…only to be slapped by another…

__

The gods or something must be working against me! With the final paper removed and some careful dodging, she stood face to face with her hero. To savor the moment she stared at his black boots.

His boots; so much like her own only in a men's size. The black leather pants were covered in white splotches of reflected sunlight. Her eyes continued to move upwards. Three belts hung at his hips. Their crisscrossing pattern reminded her of the old-fashioned latticework of the elevator doors at Shinra Tower Midgar.

"Still in love." She whispered while passing his exposed navel to his ill-fitting white t-shirt. His yellowish skin seemed like an odd contrast to the lights and darks of his outfit-but really, she was in love.

Closer and closer, she got to the face she could only see in each waking dream. A necklace hung from his neck but was barely visible underneath the white fur lined collar of his leather coat.

Elena closed her eyes in anticipation. Any moment, she would be gazing into the Wutaian eyes of her beloved. So many thoughts raced through her mind. Would she get the date he had promised before he died? Would he stay with her? Would she be able to keep from crying? With this encounter would the hurt be erased and everything returned to normal?

She raised her chin and threw her eyes open.


	34. The Longest Night

Leira sat between Reno's legs and rested the back of her head against his right shoulder. The view of Wutai from Dao Chao, Wutai's most sacred yet distinguishing feature, was unbelievable. The land below lit by red lanterns, white street lamps, every place had a string of lights passing through it. Reno found himself wondering how the longtime residents were able to sleep so well at night.

"It's beautiful." Leira said, pushing herself further back against him. "Beautiful night." She felt her former coworker's chest jump sharply and realized he was giggling. "What's so funny?"

He lifted his arms to rub her shoulders. "Nah, kid, it's nothing."

"No. What?" She craned her head around to look at him.

"Nah, I was thinking, it can't be too wonderful out." He rubbed the back of his head before pulling himself up into a sitting position.

"Why not?" At this point Leira found herself expecting a serious answer.

"Well, you see," he pulled himself away from her and stood up, "the…what…the cliché is no matter how perfect the evening," he stepped out to the edge of the finger shaped cliff they sat on and grinned at her, "something bad has to happen. You know-"

"The calm before the storm?" Leira smiled and patted the ground indicating for him to sit beside her. She loved the way he looked standing with his back to the illuminated hustle and bustle of Wutai's nightlife. The mainly white light made his skin and hair shine in such a way it reminded her of an oil painting. Each strand of gravity defying hair on top of his head seemed to emit its own individual light. It was almost as if he had no face or front; like the night devoured everything but his flame red tresses.

Suddenly, Leira found herself horrified. She pulled her outstretched legs into her body and covered her ears.

"What's-WHAT?!" Reno yelped but a deafening roar overwhelmed his words.

Blue, red, yellow, and white streaked across the town and headed in their direction. The wail of turbines shattered their peaceful sit but for some reason Leira was far from upset. She jumped to her feet and hopped up and down all the while pointing and shouting. Reno could not understand her words but witnessing her mounting excitement, he figured the noise could only be triggered by one thing-

"Gelnika! Gelnika!!" She bellowed only to have her words ripped from her lips. Quickly she snatched up Reno's hand and yanked him off the ground.

The poor man gave up fighting her quirkiness a long time ago. All he could do was swallow his own pride and follow along. Her excitement exploded with the appearance of the former Shinra warplane, he wondered if she even questioned the crew's motives for being in Wutai. The plane was so low; Reno thought it might crash into the mountainside. "Those flyboys er kinda low!" He said aloud despite the intensity of the craft's engines.

Leira continued to drag him behind her pretending she could outrace the Gelnika. She darted along the path forgetting several times over her former lover caught in her iron grip fighting to stay on his feet.

Finally, it was overhead. The Elite stopped in her tracks and allowed Reno to drop to his knees. Coughing and panting, he stared up at the flashing lights and then to Leira holding her hands above her head attempting to touch the ship's hull.

She was so beautiful to him-overlooking, of course, Sephiroth's flapping green knit tuxedo shirt. _She does look hot in it but…he did, too. **SEPHIROTH?!**_ Reno shook his head vigorously and patted himself everywhere he could think of in search of a cigarette. The notion he entertained; Sephiroth being physically more attractive to him, sent chills down his spine. He was thinking like his friend in SOLDIER. That thought required either a cigarette or some good alcohol. As if a hole opened in the darkened sky, he caught Leira dancing around. Every so often, a flicker of light would reflect off her skin or pass through the stitching of her clothing.

The Gelnika crew completed their drop off without fail and was heading home. Both pilot and navigator agreed to circle the continent before leaving for Junon. Cait Sith units were not usually in high demand so it was rare to travel anywhere outside of home base.

"Yo, city sure is pretty!" The navigator winked. "Bet there's no such thing as a good night's sleep!"

"Heh!" The pilot offered thumbs up, flicking off the radio. "Sucks, I can't talk to the Highwind. Had to talk to the Wutties…"

The navigator looked out through the triangular shaped side cockpit window. "It's strange the ship ain't lit…"

"Yeah," the other agreed, "radio room has nothing to do with exterior landing lights…"

The navigator wanted to offer his thoughts when a series of "dinging" sounds alerted both men to the Gelnika's control panels.

"I don't see anything!" The navigator yelped.

"Wait! What's that?!" The pilot leaned over the buttons and levers making up the instrument panel. "Those white lights-what are they?"

The second man stood silent attracted to the unnatural beauty of the strange phenomena before him.

On the ground, Reno blinked several times. "Shooting stars?"

Leira watched his lips move then spun around a couple times in horror. "What's…happening…?"

The pilot glanced anxiously at his crewmate in terror as the plane shook. "Whatever those things are, they aren't good for this here Gelnika!" He hollered yanking the control stick around.

The navigator did his best to push buttons in an attempt to steady the ship but the Gelnika was unresponsive.

The white lights pounded into the ship so many times giant pits slowly became large holes. The only action the crew could take was to steer away from town.

Leira grabbed Reno and pushed her head into his neck. "They're not gonna make it!"

The Turk shook his head and watched the bird of prey begin an arc away from Wutai. He knew what was about to happen but was unsure of the cause. His eyes widened in terror when the arc brought the ship on a collision course for the mountain. "We don't have time!" He yelled at her and grabbed her wrist leading her into a dead run. "We have to get to the ground!"

Flames and black smoke spewed out of the military plane and the hope for survival lost within the two-man team. "She's headed straight for the mountain…" The navigator swallowed hard choking on his fear.

The pilot lay against the controls mentally keeping track of the seconds until impact. He nodded but words were never spoken.

Leira and Reno were too focused on escape. It was pitch black, save for the strobing effects of the white lights streaking down from the sky. Suddenly, Reno's footing slipped and he grabbed a sidewall for balance. In seconds, his worried look became one of triumph. A brief flash of light provided a decent look at a landmark capable of saving their lives. "Now! To the right!" He ordered. "There's a cave not too far from here!"

Leira looked at him quizzically but found herself pulled along behind him. "How far?!"

Reno could not remember exactly how far away it was; he was only concerned with saving themselves and getting back to town. In determination, he got behind her and pushed on her shoulders. "It's coming!" He looked over his shoulder and watched the Gelnika twist in the air until it was upside down. The fear of the wreckage killing them both was enough of a signal to keep moving. He pushed harder until her ankles gave out and she dropped to the ground tripping him.

Leira rolled onto her side to avoid his knee crashing into her head. She moved to cover herself against him falling on her but her left arm went wide and her elbow banged into a jagged unfinished wall. She maneuvered herself onto her hands and knees and looked back at him.

Reno was panting so hard he was almost certain the exhaustion would kill him before the Gelnika. He swallowed hard and waited for another sign, another flash of light, and another hope.

"Reno! Look!" She grabbed at the corridor's walls trying to steady herself.

"Lei, you're amazing!"

The pair wasted no time at all. They wound up diving head first into the cavern and took off running as far away as they could manage.

The Gelnika slammed into the cliff Leira and her former lover once occupied and screeched along as its left wing was seared from its body. Sparks flew from the rest of the hull as metal scraped stone. The huge reliefs of Wutaian royalty and robust bare-chested mountain gods acquired heavy damage as the craft pushed along a few hundred feet before flame invaded its fuel tank and it exploded in a huge fireball.

Leira and Reno heard the blast and flung themselves to the ground. They were safe for the most part but unsure of the fate of the rest of the town below.

Reno sat up and propped himself against the interior of the granite enclosure. His eyes passed to Leira's possible location. He could hear her ragged breathing close by but offered no words of comfort or motivation. They escaped far worse during their Shinra days but this time, this evening; it was not as much fun.

Reeve's retrieval team witnessed the entire display but found themselves faced with more pressing matters. What appeared as innocent streams of falling light crashed to the ground laying waste to anything below.

Todasai worked as fast as he could to bring the smaller unit online. The large, bulky mog contained more wires and buttons but the small black and white cat required skill and timing. "That wasn't JATO…was it…?"

Briggs stared at his fellow officer. "No. Now quit jabbin' we don' have all this time! Just carry the fucking thing-" A large object crashed into the ground less then six feet away knocking the man into a collection of weeds. "Hurry up!" He shouted rolling over to lie on his stomach.

Tread dodged a few blasts and hurled himself toward Todasai. He watched the man's fingers scramble across the tiny circuit breaker. "Maybe it's that buss wire…try to bridge the capacitor-then hit the switch!"

"I got a better idea!"

The two men glanced at each other then leapt in separate directions as more objects fell. The tiny cat fell to the ground like a discarded rag doll.

Tread looked over at Todasai. "Trust me-bridging will cause a concentrated stream of-"

"Arhem!! AS I SAID 'I have a better idea!'" The little black and white cat recovered from yelling and eyed its paws suspiciously."

"If you have a suggestion, let's hear it!" Briggs ran up to the tiny synthetic being just as the large mog bounded over.

The synthetic mog wrapped its arms around its counterpart and placed it on its shoulders. "Now, it just so happens I do…EEEEAAAAYERRRRGH! WHERE ARE WE WUTAI?!" The creature roared and licked its arms and paws furiously.

The three men stood before the completed Cait Sith unit in utter disgust as the cat grabbed the mog's ear for balance and lifted its left hind leg over its head.

"What? You've never seen a cat clean itself?"

"Uhhhm…you were saying Mister Cat?" Briggs wanted to leave the area as quickly as possible. They were still in the middle of a heavily wooded area far from home and the strange white items were still crashing to the earth.

"Jeeeesussss," it snarled and covered its ears with its tiny paws.

"What's wrong?" The three shouted embracing each other as heavy projectile landed at their feet.

"My crown IS _gone_!"

Briggs stared at Todasai, who promptly grabbed a corner of Elena's sleeping bag and ran as fast as he could.

Tread stood before Cait Sith and shook his head. "We'll find you a new one! Help us get Elena to the village and we'll find you one!" The man was scared out of his mind. He admired the mechanical creation for being fearless before possible doom but something about having a soul and actual emotions seemed more attractive then relying on an old computer program in Junon to do the thinking.

"Promise?"

"What?!" Briggs was unsure of how much more he could take of the childishness. "Fine. I promise." He threw himself to the far right as three more meteor-like projectiles fell.

"In the meantime…can I have your hat?"

The poor man removed his black plastic helmet and approached Cait Sith. Standing on his toes he placed it on the head of the small black and white android cat; promptly burying it.

"Where'd the lights go?!" It shrieked causing the protective gear to bob up and down sometimes exposing a tiny red shoe.

Briggs, unfortunately, knew where the lights were. How could he not see them crashing into trees and the ground in front of him. He was so tired of dodging them and wanted nothing more for them to stop or the Cait Sith unit to collect itself and head back to base. A beeping sound caught his attention so he flicked a switch on the tiny two way radio connected to his coat collar. "Briggs." He said slowly keeping a close watch on the cat and mog.

"Briggs, this is Tate." The general's voice responded. "Cloud Strife is heading out that way! Bring…h….hi…"

"Damn it! Stupid jungle! Mr. Cat can you get that signal?" He looked down at his leather boots then over at the cat. Both creations bore such looks of fright. The mog's enormous paws attempted to shield its smaller counterpart while the cat held up the newly acquired helmet enough for its tiny eyes to peek out from underneath. Could it be the lousy signal and the probability of having to navigate the jungle in a weird meteor shower? "What?"

"Bu-bu-bu…Be…buh-buh-" The little android let the helmet cover itself and began to shake uncontrollably.

"What?" Briggs asked again. Soon the strange barrage slowed to a stop and he let out a sigh of relief.

"I think he was trying to warn you-'look behind you.'" A female voice whispered in his ear.

He darted around winding up face to face with a golden haired woman. "Elena?" Suddenly, it became clear. The woman's facial features were quite attractive despite being pale and corpse like. Her eyes, most notably, were a metallic graphite color and her lips were a deep purple. He wanted to scream out his findings and holler for help but he could not.

The woman regarded him with a tinge of humor before a gigantic grey hand grabbed him by the head and lifted him off the ground.

"No." she smiled as her companion growled and began to squeeze the skull of its victim. "But we'll give her your regards."

Briggs made his best effort to grab the creature's large wrist, even kicking and biting but it was no use, the fingers were like steel beams and its long black finger nails were so sharp he was afraid if he moved wrong he would harm himself, instead.

"My guess is the others are down that way." She said half to her companion and half to Cait Sith. Before either could attempt to reply, she offered an evil smile then disappeared among ivy-covered trees.

The grey creature watched his companion's exit then lumbered his way to the cat with the officer still in his grip. The monster was mammoth-at least nine feet in height draped in a long black robe. Yellow eyes, aglow with hatred, loomed over the highest point of the Cait Sith unit. "Give them all our regards." It smiled and bared its long sharp teeth.

"I…I…I…ah…uh…I…" the poor android stuttered trying to hold the helmet up enough for it to peek out.

"Ah-hah-ha!" The monster laughed and hefted Briggs higher to dangle inches from Cait Sith. The mechanical constructs were far from prepared for what was to follow. When they were able to catch up with the rest of the rescue team their appearance relayed more then words alone.

The hearty rumbling laugh grew louder and its chest heaved up and down nearly to the point where the cat thought the monster's chest would burst. Briggs' legs swayed in a circular pattern the more the creature laughed until a sharp jolt sent him higher into the air. "ENOUGH!" it roared and snapped its hand closed.

A raw animalistic scream pierced the nighttime air followed by a "crunch" and "thabt, thabt-thabt" as splashes of blood sprung from Briggs' crumpled head decorating beast, mog, cat, and native plant life.

Cait Sith found itself shaking in the beasts presence unsure of whether to escape or pray.

The robed creature smiled and bowed tossing the corpse over its shoulder like a piece of trash. "Now I leave you." It said through huge smiling black lips.

The cat and mog watched as the creature casually sidled over to Briggs' corpse knelt down and shook the man's left arm ripping it from the socket.

"Arrrr-hem." Stunned, the little black and white cat blinked then hung upside down to look the mog in the face. "GIT ME OUTTA HEEEEERE!!" It swatted the larger android with Briggs' helmet, screaming all the way to the village.

Leira looked around as best she could in the darkness, never lifting her head from Reno's knees. "What do you think happened to it?"

"Haven't a clue." he shrugged. "I couldn't even guess what those weird lights were."

The Elite shook her head and stood up. "This cave have a backdoor?"

"Ha!" he scoffed and tugged on his long red hair. "Don't I wish, kid."

"You mean we have to go back?" She muttered praying her fears would not be confirmed.

"Shouldn't be that far." His voice may have sounded cool and collected to Leira but, in reality, he was nervous and trying hard not to piss his pants.

Leira listened to the sound of his clothing dragging against the sand covered floor as he got to his feet. She felt a hand wrap around her left wrist and pull her toward the exit.

Both of them were breathing hard and sweating bullets in the musty cave.

Slowly, they reached the mouth. Flames licked at the Gelnika while the two stood in the open air; their nostrils filled with the odor of burning metal and flesh.

"Uhhh-" Leira turned her head from the blackened twisted wreckage and buried her head in his shoulder. She was unable to see human remains but the burning hulk was equally disturbing. Leira thought of all the runs she made, piloting the large carrier planes, during wartime; the sadness she felt when Shinra's withering finances were not able to support the production of new models leading to their prompt decommissioning. The tears began to fall so she looked away and covered her face with her hands.

Reno had a hard time knowing what to do in the company of a crying female so he decided to let her be. Maneuvering around the side of Dao Chao, he stood at a safe distance from the fire. He could feel the intensity of the heat and the popping and crackling as the flames spread. Suddenly, something caught his eye. Off in the distance he was able to spot more flames. The friendly lights of the bustling town replaced with thick black smoke and isolated hot spots. His jaw hung open while he calculated the impact of the recent events. "DAMN! RUDE!! MY HOUSE!! Lei!" He spun around and grabbed her wrist again, "Rude's down there! My house is down there! We've got go!"

Leira was yanked so hard her long hair whipped around and covered her eyes. She fought hard to stay upright knowing full well if she were to fall, she would slow them both down. A thought occurred to her while they made their escape and she smiled despite her sadness. Reno was concerned for his friend as well as his possessions. While it was to be expected, she felt an overwhelming sense of pride in him. During their romance, she remembered another place that would have also been a concern.

"OH-MI-GAWD!!"

"Wren?! What's-"

His pace quickened and she prayed he would not dive off the nearest cliff, with her in tow, as an attempt to reach the town faster. "THE BAR!! NOT THE TURTLE'S PARADISE!!"

"Is everyone alright in here?" Phiphat hollered. The combination of shell and protect he used limited the damage he sustained from the roof collapsing in on him. "Hello!"

He examined his arms and feet taking notice of his shredded robes and missing turban. He rummaged through piles of rubble, tossing piece after piece of broken plaster over his shoulder. "Can either of you hear me?! Please be alive! Please!"

The boy squatted over a huge mound and began to dig like a Kalm wolf. He did not want to be alone, not now; he had to get his family's honor back before he could die. He dug until his fingers were dirty and bloody, stopping only to remove the remnants of his heavy purple outer robe.

Layer after layer was removed until-

"OW!"

The boy stopped and twisted his body around to search for the source of the sound.

"Pippy! You just beamed Sephy in the head!" Yuffie shouted and waved from several feet away. "Good boy!"

Phiphat scrambled over to her, as fast his arms and legs would carry him. "Are you okay? Where is he?"

Yuffie smiled and rubbed at her smudged cheeks. She wrapped her arms around him and pointed to the ex-general's location. "He pushed me under the bed when those strange lights started coming through the roof!"

"You're hurt!" The boy panted looking at Yuffie's arms. Trickles of dirt speckled blood traveled down her shoulders and pooled around her elbows and wrists.

"It's okay! I'm tougher then that!" She poked her right thumb into her chest then started to shout out in pain.

Phiphat was at her side investigating her body. "It looks like you might have bruised your ribs. It's probably not worth a potion."

Sephiroth lay on his back with his hands to his forehead. The young man had indeed "beamed" him. His face was bleeding a little bit but not enough for him to be concerned. It was the shock of being struck after the house collapse; that was the clincher.

The topless general sat up and pulled plaster from his long hair while he surveyed the remnants of their shelter. Only a couple walls continued to stand at the back of the house. The entire front entrance was nothing more then a huge crater littered with bits of living room furniture and broken glass. "They're here already…"

"Who?" Yuffie raised an eyebrow at him and adjusted her headband.

"I never expected them to be this early. Why would they be on the move this quickly; especially since they know the Highwind is crippled and one of their targets is already dead?"

"Start talking sense, man!" Yuffie was in Sephiroth's face shaking him by the shoulders.

The silver haired man swatted her away and narrowed his eyes. "Somehow, the clone has made contact with the other. "Those lights were their mode of teleportation."

Phiphat and Yuffie stared at each other then looked back at Sephiroth. "It looks like a faster way has been discovered to transport them from one place to another."

"But you can fly!" Yuffie stated jumping to her feet.

Sephiroth stood up and studied his dusty black boots. "I'm not special anymore. I'm more of a messenger and delivery boy." His voice was so quiet and riddled with disappointment Yuffie almost felt sorry him. "They only needed me to bring her to them but now they have grown impatient."

JATO - Jet Assisted Takeoff - quick escape on little or no runway utilizing solid-fuel rockets.


End file.
